


The Epic of Sea and Fire

by SBV



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Romance, Sexual Content, basically a greek god au, but its gonna slap, everybody loves a good epic, like slap hard, this is ambitious as hell so bear wth me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:08:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 55,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SBV/pseuds/SBV
Summary: Sing of the goddess of the Southern Seas, the one who stood her ground in the face of tyranny. And, sing of the young god, Muses, that that challenged his very fate. For the people cherish this tale.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 67
Kudos: 101





	1. Chthonic

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA. These concepts are mine though. I'm combining a lot of different myths and different twist, so it doesn't follow one set myth. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

I

Chthonic

_Beyond the world of the mortals and their great champions, lies many a story of epic proportions. The stories of the gods are as lavish and exciting as their everlasting existence. Within the long and violent history of the gods, the mortals celebrate ‘The Epic of Sea and Fire’ as the most favored._

_You see, dear Muse, there is no sweeter tale than this, for this tale takes place during a great war between the gods, yet love persisted. This story is of flower petals and seashells. This story is of jewels and salt. This story is of love and war._

_Sing the song, honest Muse. Sing the great tale of how the Prince of the House of Death, the god of fire, yearned to touch the surface. Sing of how the Prince yearned to bask in the warmth of the sun. Start, sweet Muse, at the fateful moment for the Prince where his suffering was answered._

* * *

“Oh, Zuzu!”

Could he hide? Azula’s sing-song voice chimed over the bubbling waterfall of pure water that seeped through the cracks of the basalt wall. His grip on his quill tightened. There was only one reason Azula, goddess of the dead, would be humming this direction, and it was to torment him.

The door to his room was thrown open with little concern. The numerous texts on his wall threatened to fall from their orderly place. “Ah, here you are Zuzu.” Azula strode with all the confidence that a young goddess could have. She was a fierce being, one who oversaw that the Underworld was in perfect order. And, it would be in order. Azula worked with a cruel intensity, much like the blue flames that adorned her head like a crown, that made favored in the House. 

“What could you possibly want? Don’t you have a poor soul to torture?”

“Please, Zuko, you know I don’t torture souls. That is _so_ barbaric. It honestly hurts me that you would think of me in that way.”

Zuko, the god of fire, kept his glowing gold eyes on the parchment. “In my defense, your reputation doesn’t refute my claim.” 

Azula picked at a geode on Zuko’s wall. His chambers were ornate, but Zuko didn’t have the same tastes that Azula did. She kept her chambers and her own wardrobe fashioned in the finest riches and jewelry that the Underworld could offer. Black silks and gold cuffs, Azula was a goddess, and she would look like it. 

Zuko, on the other hand, was not one to lavish himself in the endless riches of their domain. He was not a god of the dead, so there was no point in looking like one. 

“Why can’t I check on my big brother without all the hostility? I would leave if it looked like you were busy.” Azula gracefully slid the scrolls, parchment, and ink from Zuko’s desk so she could sit on it. 

“I was busy!”

“Well, you aren’t anymore.”

He snapped his quill between his glowing fingers. “Those were important documents! Now, I have to do them all over again!”

“Think of it as a favor. Every document you sign, I have to redo. Maybe you’ll get it right this time.”

Zuko would shove her out, but Azula could crush him with her pinky. She outranked him. Azula had tamed lightning, and for that, she was feared. 

“You’ve had your fun. Now leave. There’s a reason I’m in my chambers. I want to be alone.”

Azula pouted. “Poor tortured Zuzu… So melancholy. So glum. If only someone would take you out of your misery. But alas, you are immortal. At least, you have your dreams of the surface. I don’t understand it.”

Zuko rolled his eyes, a scowl permanently on his angular features. “Of course, you wouldn’t. You belong here. I don’t.” 

“Why are you so harsh on yourself?” Azula started to run her long nails over her skull-belt. It was a gift from an admirer. “That’s my job. It’s no fun to listen to you say those things.” Before she could laugh, Zuko shoved her from his desk. She screeched out in indigence, clawing to stay on the desk.

“Get off!”

“Ugh, fine!” Her fists erupted with blue fire. “You spend all day moping about your life here, but you refuse to acknowledge the good things you have! There is _nothing_ for you on the surface!”

Zuko glared. “I’m not afraid of your fire. I’m the god of fire. It won’t do anything.”

“Father’s did.”

Zuko’s face twisted violently. He hurled a ball of fire at Azula only for her to dodge. “You weren’t there! You don’t get to talk about that!”

“Fine. Fine,” Azula said nonchalantly. She snuffed the burning drapery behind her. “My, you need to work on your anger issues. You know what?” She put a nail to her teeth. “This whole thing is reminding me. Oh, what was it? What was it? Ah! Father asked for you, and he sounded really serious.”

“Azula?!” Zuko pushed past her and rushed to the great hall.

Stupid sister. Stupid, conniving sister. She always did stuff like this. Timeliness is a virtue that the Lord of this realm values very much. It was like a little game of Azula’s to make Zuko’s life harder. 

She knows why he wants to go to the surface. It’s a fool’s errand. Zuko knows this, but it is the low flicker of hope in his chest that keeps him going in this dark palace. 

Zuko’s loud steps echoed in the high ceilings of the East Hall. His footprints left fading burn marks behind him. The sweet voice of the court Muse did nothing to ease Zuko’s anxieties. Poor thing. Her voice still rang as bright and happy as the day she arrived, but this was no place for a Muse. She belonged with her numerous sisters, reading poetry and inspiring artists. The only thing she was inspiring here were the numerous souls put to work for the Lord of the House of Dead. 

The House of Death forever smelled of the honeyed fire lily petals that ever fell from the ceiling. He preferred that to the smell of rotting souls just beyond their home. 

“Hello, Your Highness!”

Ignored. 

What he didn’t ignore was the low puff of air that doused Zuko in smoke. 

“Sorry, Druk.” Zuko snickered before scratching the intimidating guard dragon under the chin. He earned a slimy lick to the cheek. “I don’t have any treats for you, buddy.” 

Druk turned his massive head to his brothers, Ran and Shaw, vocalizing his distaste. The guards of the Underworld do their job diligently, but a bribe is always appreciated. Sometimes the souls of those who try to escape the Underworld are not enough for the appetite of the guard dragons. 

“I know, I know. I’m the worst. Now, I have a meeting with my father.”

“Yes. You do, and you’re late.”

Zuko stiffened. “Lord Ozai, I apologize.” His father sat at the end of the Great Hall on his throne, glowering with all the rage of the god of the dead. Behind him, the pitch-black waters of the Underworld coursed violently. 

“Apologies are for the mortals. If you were truly sorry, you wouldn’t have done it in the first place. Come closer, boy, and treat your lord with respect.”

Zuko did as ordered. Was his laurel straight? It was too late now. If he had known that his father would request his presence, he would have worn a nicer chiton. He knelt to his father.

Ozai’s expression didn’t change as his eldest child beheld himself. The Lord of the Underworld was a stoic god. As his daughter imitated, Ozai fashioned himself in fine rings, cuffs, and the best-polished bones for his crown. 

“I will not make this mistake in the future.”

“Hi, Zuko!”

Zuko raised his eyes from the marbled tiles to see a friendly face beaming at him. Jin. That certainly eased some of the tensions. The messenger of the gods had been traveling to their realm often these days. For what, Zuko did not know, but Jin was always kind to him even though she was always in a rush. 

“It’s good to see you.” Zuko tried his best at a smile, but it came out as a grimace.

Ozai’s burning eyes narrowed at his son. “If you weren’t late, I would have had more time for messages from the outside world.” He waved a dismissive hand at Jin. “Now, if you have anything important, then you should return at a later date, Jin.”

Jin’s normally gentle face fell. “I hope that you take this message seriously, Lord Ozai. The other great gods are not pleased.” She turned to Zuko with a goofy grin. “Well, bye now. I got ten thousand more messages to deliver today.” And, with that Jin disappeared. 

“What was that about?”

“It doesn’t concern you, boy.”

Nothing concerns him apparently. There was once a time where Zuko would have challenged his father for such treatment. He was the Prince of the Underworld. Yet, those days were gone. He was dishonorable, lucky to be alive. Speaking up would only make things worse. 

“Yes.”

“Zuko,” Ozai boomed. “The reason I have called you here today is because it is time for you to carry some weight in this family.”

“But, I complete all the work you ask of me.” Zuko grew increasingly defensive. “I spend whatever free time I have been filing away each new soul’s paperwork. It’s not even my job, but I do it.”

“They’re no need to grovel at my feet with your minuscule accolades.” The faint screaming of the souls trapped in Ozai’s garb caused Zuko’s ears to ring. “I meant a different weight. Weight of continuing the genealogy.”

Oh. 

Zuko should have known this day would come. Marriage. Union. An idea such as that should overjoy Zuko, but instead, it made him sick to his stomach. There were expectations and… emotions… Zuko had little experience in seeing happy unions. 

It would be eternity together. Eternity. 

“I… Er, I’m honored.”

“As you should be. Think of it as mercy. I’m ending the solitary life that you have created for yourself. It’s pathetic.” Zuko wanted to mention his father’s own solitude ever since… Well, she left. He held his tongue. 

“Thank you, Lord Ozai.”

“As the Prince of this realm, I would have thought you to be more popular. Azula has numerous suitors, yet you… have none.”

“That isn’t true.”

“Of course.” Ozai’s eyes flickered. “I ask that you pick a suitable partner, one of our own. The gods and goddesses outside of the Caldera are fools. They don’t understand us. We are misunderstood, but there is no point in trying to reason with those barbarians.”

“Father, I—”

“You will call me Lord Ozai.”

“Lord Ozai, I wish to see outside of the Caldera myself.”

“This again…”

“According to the prayers I receive, the mortals wish that I wasn’t so hidden away. Fire should never be suffocated.”

“Preposterous!” Ozai’s voice filled the high ceilings. Even some of the spirits wandering the halls scurried away. “You are not suffocated! And, you don’t owe any favors to the mortals! If they wish to worship a god that wastes their time with the mortals, then they should gloat over those silly sky gods.”

Zuko had no response to that. Zuko had no choice but to agree. He didn’t know any better. He had never seen a sky god, Jin didn’t count, nor had he even seen the sky before. The idea of it was impossible to imagine with the stolen scrolls filled with descriptive imagery at Zuko kept in his chambers. 

Ozai pinched the bridge of his nose. “Zuko, you have everything you need here. An attitude like that has no purpose here. I’ve tried to tell you this multiple times. I’m growing tired of the conversation.”

“Of course, Lord Ozai.” 

“One day, us chthonic gods will reign supreme as we were meant to do. No one will deny me anymore. I’ve lived an eternity of it, and I won’t stand for it anymore. You should have pride in yourself, boy. The gods above surface… they will scorn you. It’s as simple as that. It’s better to stay where you’re… appreciated.”

Appreciated? His father was never one for realistic jokes. Low-burning flames licked at his knuckles. He couldn’t challenge his father. Not ever again. He had his chance. So instead, he rose and excused himself from the Great Hall. 

“Remember what I asked of you, Zuko.”

Oh, he’d remember...

Zuko, God of Fire

Azula, Goddess of the Dead

Ozai, God of the Dead

Jin, Messenger of the Gods


	2. Languish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Zuzu and his melodrama. Yuck. I’ve never seen such a sorry soul."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy!

II

Languish

Zuko took his leave with great distaste. He shuffled, head down and barren faced. Of course, Zuko stopped to pet Druk on the nose. 

“Did you hear? Lu Ten has returned.”

“Lu Ten? What business does he have here? Lu Ten only comes back to the Underworld under special circumstances.”

“Maybe he was bored on the surface.”

Gossip traveled quickly in the House of the Dead. Every court claimed that gossip travels fast there, but the Caldera would claim this. There wasn’t much else to do in death. It was a fun hobby for most. It makes eternity move a little faster. 

Lu Ten’s rumored return was a surprise to Zuko. Normally, he would arrive in fanfare and splendor. Perhaps this return was only for a short moment. No matter. It would buy time for Zuko to mull over his father’s request. 

It wasn’t that he needed time. It was that he simply wished not to do it. If he knew anything about his parent’s relationship, then Zuko wouldn’t want any part of it. His father loved his mother in his own twisted way, and maybe she loved him too. That didn’t matter now. She was gone, and his father was still here. It was better that way, Zuko presumed. She wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t. She wouldn’t have left her children if it wasn’t. 

Zuko wondered why Jin seemed so serious when talking to his father. Ozai often ignored the messages unless it came from another of the Caldera. Zuko thought it was a poor craft of the Lord of the Underworld to distance himself so violently. 

If only he could just escape from this languish. Something was happening. Zuko didn’t know what, and he truly didn’t care to know. 

_There is a saying about virtue;_

_She nestles in rough untrodden rocks_

_And reigns a divine sacred land._

The muse was at it again, singing her sweet melodies to divert from the fact that this was the Underworld. Her voice was the only good thing that Zuko could conjure up at the moment. Zuko understood why poets would be inspired by her. She had the voice of dainty petals and sweet dreams.

_Not all mortals can see her._

_Only those_

_Whose burning desire in their heart_

_Leads them to the greatest deeds._

The muse’s kithara rang loud and true under her bright voice. Zuko made the mistake of curling his head around the corner to get a better listen to her. He had to admit, this song was far more sophisticated than her usual lineup. It was worth a listen.

“Zuzu, come here.”

He should have known. There was no point in trying to slither away because Azula already saw him. The soothing words died down to only the kithara as Zuko was expected to approach. 

He groaned. “I just wanted to listen to Ty Lee’s song. Must I come and make fake conversation with you every time?”

Ty Lee perked up at her name. The muse Ty Lee showed no lasting effects of her time in the Caldera. In fact, she hardly seemed bothered by it at all. Ty Lee was such a contrast to everyone else with her heavenly white chiton and ever-green laurel that she always stuck out.

“You like my song?” She sounded very proud of the fact. Her beatific beam is nearly blinding. “You never compliment me.”

“It’s very different from your others. I never knew you had such a noble mind.”

“Well…” Her fingers plucked at the strings at a faster tempo. “That’s because it’s not my song. It’s Ty Woo’s.”

“The… Proclaimer?”

“Yeah, it’s supposed to be a serious bit of poetry, but I like it better this way. I heard Lu Ten is here. Oh, he is just so handsome.”

“Lu Ten wouldn’t give you a second glance. He’s too intense,” said a voice behind Zuko. 

“How long have you been there, Mai?” Zuko muttered to himself. A rare smile found itself peeking from the corner of his cheek. 

A cold hand that belonged to the enchantress rested on his shoulder. From the shadows of her hood, Mai gazed back at Zuko with an unreadable expression. He assumed she was in a good mood by the way she gripped his shoulder, but she couldn’t have taken kindly to his dismissal of her. 

“The whole time, Zuzu,” Azula teased, reclined and snacking on cherries. Seriously… For someone so important to the function of this realm, Azula always seemed to be lounging about. “I would expect you of all people to be used to her presence.”

“She does that emergence from the shadows thing all the time.” He turned to Mai. “You should be flattered that I didn’t notice you.”

That earned a tired scoff from the enchantress. “Nice recovery, Zuko. Although, I shouldn’t be praising you for being oblivious. I could have turned you into a swine just like those vile sailors, but… I’ll make an exception for you.”

“Well, consider me thankful.”

Azula made a guttural sound in the back of her throat that could be heard as a gag. “You two and your sorry excuse for flirting. You’re ruining the music.” She was going to say that Mai could do better than Zuko, but she held her tongue. Not only was Mai a friend, but she was the head enchantress. Her powers and influence were most valued in Azula’s eyes. “I find this tune to be most enjoyable Ty Lee.”

“That’s why you keep me around.”

“You know you can leave whenever you want.” Azula raised a brow. “You were not the muse my father asked for.”

Ty Lee glanced to the distance. “Oh, that would be no fun.”

Azula sighed and rolled her eyes. Ty Lee and her passiveness. It was sickening. She could leave whenever she wanted, but she never did.

“Anyway… Zuzu! What did Father want from you?”

He let out an annoyed puff. “Oh, nothing really. The usual.”

“The usual? Oh, that couldn’t be true. I swore that Father had something so very important to ask of you. Something… Oh, it seems my memory is fading. Remind me?”

“Azula…” he growled under his breath. “You’re being a pest.”

“Mai, wouldn’t you want to know?”

“Why should I care?” Mai said in a half-laugh. 

“You might,” she sang.

“Look, you obviously know what Father and I talked about, so cut the shit and just say it. I’m not in the mood for your little games.” The embers that made up his laurel flared up. “I’m not some toy for you to play with!”

“Fine. Father wants you to pick a partner in your melancholy existence.”

“I’m not melancholy!”

“Oh, Azula, don’t be like this.” Ty Lee always tried to keep the peace to no avail. 

Azula’s eyes took on a cruel gleam. “Zuzu and his melodrama. Yuck. I’ve never seen such a sorry soul. Share with us. Have you picked someone to share that melodrama with? Well, at least part of it. Us deities surely like to sleep around, hm?”

He would not look at Mai. He would not look at Mai. He would not look at Mai. She was looking at him though. Azula took too much joy in playing with people. 

The truth was that Zuko didn’t know. Mai was the obvious choice. Their relationship certainly was physical, yet neither of them were actually interested in… the emotional part of it. Mai was so obvious that it hurt. But…

Azula looked ready to continue her beratement, but her posture suddenly straightened. “Well, well, well… It seems that you’ve been saved by Lu Ten.”

Zuko watched stormily as Azula’s demeanor changed to suit the more serious Lu Ten. He wondered if anything was keeping him from tearing out her throat right where she stood. Not only did she upset Zuko, but Mai seemed to shift awkwardly next to him, her hand disappearing from his shoulder. Ty Lee glanced nervously between the fire god and the enchantress. The tension must have been suffocating… or maybe it was just Lu Ten’s presence. 

It seemed that Lu Ten arrived with his entourage after all. The clatter of bones was unmistakable. The god of war would not be without them. Whatever doubts he had of his father’s scheming melted away. Lu Ten was not one to visit family on a limb, and he had no plans on talking without provocation. 

“Cousin!” Azula announced. “How good so see you!”

Lu Ten did not seem to share the sentiment. His intensity caused Ty Lee’s fingers to stiffen up. No god caused such a reaction. One could almost imagine all the mortals and even gods that had gotten a close-up glimpse of that glistening armor of his before falling to the god of war. 

A heavy scowl that Lu Ten sported only deepened when seeing Mai and Ty Lee at their sides. “Cousins. I see you still have the muse and the enchantress at your sides. Interesting. I understand the enchantress for her magical prowess, but the muse?”

Ty Lee groaned. “We have names! You’re the one who stole me away from my sisters!”

“Ty Lin.”

“No! It’s Ty Lee. You were supposed to get Ty Lin, the One with the Beautiful Voice, but you’re all stuck with Ty Lee, the Lovely One.”

“Once again,” Azula sighed. “No one is forcing you to stay here.”

“I don’t make mistakes.” Lu Ten’s gravelly voice was enough to cause Zuko to shiver. He might be the only god more intimidating than Ozai. “I should have known that the muse would attempt to start a fight with me. It’s foolish. A muse standing up to the god of war? Why, you’re supposed to _sing_ my praises, not yap in my face. I could kill you.”

“He could.” Mai made her presence known. 

“Azula would protect me.”

Azula made a noncommittal voice. 

“Zuko?”

“Don’t drag Zuko into this.” Lu Ten towered over all of them, a mountain of his own right. He then turned to his cousin. “He and I work quite closely in the face of war. I think Zuko would like to keep his few allies in the Caldera.”

Zuko’s eye twitched. He would hardly call Lu Ten an ally anymore. Maybe in his youth, but Lu Ten is a full-fledged war god. He would say anything to drag the gods into his war-making in the mortal world. In fact, he and Azula work together more than he and Zuko do. If Azula wasn’t a goddess of the dead, she could have been a goddess of war. She enjoys it far too much. 

Azula doesn’t torture the souls of the Underworld. She says that they had suffered enough, yet mortals are fair game for her. 

“You know that’s not true.” Zuko may not speak up to his father, but he didn’t care what Lu Ten thought of him. 

This caused Lu Ten to appraise Zuko, taking a step forward to glower down at his cousin. Lu Ten’s wide nostrils flared. “You’ve got gumption, yet you’re still a shell of the deity that you used to be.” He turned from the group. “I have business to attend to. I don’t have time to be disrespected.”

Ty Lee waited until he and his entourage of skeletal guards were out of earshot. “He’s still handsome, though.”

Mai sighed. “You’re hopeless.”

* * *

Long after Zuko took his leave, he found himself in a comfortable silence back in his chambers. There was much to think about. Staring at the ceiling might ease his mind. Mai would expect his intention soon. She was perfect, but wouldn’t it be unfair for her? Zuko had no proof that Mai wanted anything from him other than sex. 

Mai wasn’t the type to be seen. She preferred her privacy. Gods were not allowed such things. 

The air turned cold. A slow smirk formed on Zuko’s face. He knew she would come at some point. “You must be trying to make it easier for me.”

Mai emerged from the shadows with humor in her eyes. Her lithe form hovered over him. It was impossible for Mai to not show herself after Azula’s performance earlier. Even with all of her blasé attitude, Mai wished for companionship just like everyone else. 

“I can’t have you losing your touch.”

He didn’t move as Mai straddled him, her fingers filing against his ribs. Zuko thought maybe they were going to talk, but Mai’s lips finding his jaw destroyed any hope for that. He could understand why she didn’t want to talk. They didn’t just… talk. Of course, they spared a few polite words, but Mai doesn’t show up to talk. 

“You wear too many layers.”

No comment from Mai. 

Zuko was looming over her now, busying himself with her lips in fast, wet kisses. He had yet to undress her, but his hand frantically found her breast. What was she in the mood for? Who knew. 

Mai was never one for extensive foreplay. As she ground herself against Zuko, he thought… maybe… this is just what he wanted.

Ty Lee, the Lovely One

\

Mai, the Enchantress

Lu Ten, the God of War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there ya go.
> 
> I'll probs focus on this fic until I get to chapter 5 (on its feet basically) then I'll be going back and forth between two. Whoopsie.
> 
> Anyway, I'd love to hear what you have to say about this update. I thought Ty Lee was a perfect candidate for a muse. Like??? It's perfect. As for Lu Ten, I never really imagined him as a super nice guy, especially since he was a big part of the siege. Plus, we have like little to no info on him so I'm going to have a field day. 
> 
> Peace out and be safe!


	3. Exception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You and your youthful gods… The gods of current know nothing of what it once was."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)

III

Exception

Their argument lasted long after Agni disappeared into the horizon. A more polite resident would have ignored the god of the dead and god of war in one of their explosive fights, but Zuko had been kept in the dark for far too long. He had a feeling in his gut that this argument had the answers he was seeking. 

Normally, the souls of the departed would work at all hours to keep up with the ever-rising numbers of the Underworld. When his father and cousin got like this, well… it was best to keep one’s distance. 

Mai was gone. She usually made her leave right after sex. He couldn’t imagine what she had to do in this era of peace that was so important. Yet, Zuko wouldn’t say anything. It wasn’t his problem. It wasn’t her problem. The odds that Zuko would marry were slim. Ozai was bluffing. Zuko had come to that conclusion that night. It was just a mind game. It had to be. 

Love was not for a scarred, twisted god like him. Deities were the image of perfection, and Zuko was an outlier. He was lucky to only be scarred. There was a split moment that Zuko was afraid that he would become lame. He wasn’t afraid of anything, but there was one time…

“My Lord Uncle! You haven’t thought this through to the fullest extent!”

“What do you care? I thought you loved brutality, hm? You get what you want, Nephew, and I get what I want. You shouldn’t concern yourself with anything else.”

“ _ I  _ am the one who will be acting out your wishes, so I deserve to have a part in this plan. Where is your council? You couldn’t have done this yourself?”

“My council is gone.”

Zuko inched towards the noise. He couldn’t be seen if he snuffed the low glow of his fingers. He knew there was some “plan” his father was thinking up, but what. Azula would never tell him just to hold some kind of superiority over him. Typical…

“Your council is gone?” Lu Ten’s voice reached an ominous roar. “Your council is gone!? You cannot run the Underworld without your council! How come I haven’t noticed this—this ruinous addition!?”

The souls trapped in Ozai’s garb started to scream louder. The noise made Zuko sick to his stomach. It caused his core to clench up as if a cyclops had reached in and crushed his guts into pulp. 

“You may be my kin, but you have no power over me in  _ my  _ domain.” He paused. “But, you do remind me of your father when he was a young war god. It must be the bloodshed that gives your kind such a sense of entitlement.”

“You can brush off my concerns as much as you want, but it won’t change anything,” Lu Ten snarled. Zuko didn’t know how his father was able to stand his ground against Lu Ten like that. The god was severe.

Zuko inched closer to the edge.

It was quiet for a moment much too long. “Azula and Zuko would never ask, but why are you doing this?”

“You have no right to my reasons.”

“Perhaps, but it would make it easier to understand why you need the goddess of the moon and the goddess of the southern seas. Those two goddesses hate you much more than the others of the surface.”

Zuko wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly. He thought he understood what was going on until then. Zuko kept to himself a lot, but for a scheme so serious to happen under his nose, he must be oblivious. Zuko had seen works of art dedicated to the moon. Zuko was familiar with the moon goddess, Yue, but not so much the other goddess.

“All you need to know is that those two are critical in opening the crypt at the bottom of the Caldera.” The crypt? Yes, Zuko knew of this. That is where the gigantes of old are buried. As a young godling, Zuko used to be terrified by the fact that the gigantes rested under his feet. They had the power to dethrone any god. 

“I understand this. I don’t trust the gigantes.”

“A fair sentiment, but once I free them, they will be loyal to me by code. And, by swearing their loyalty to me, they swear their loyalty to you and Azula.”

Zuko imagined that Lu Ten smiled at that. “Yes, that would be most satisfying.”

Druk, Ran, and Shaw each cracked an eye open from their slumber. Zuko being there had triggered their guard training. He raised a finger to quiet them, but it would be a matter of time before they acted. The trio of guard dragons each cocked their heads at him, not quite understanding the peril he was in. 

“Imagine it, Lu Ten.” Ozai’s footsteps were muffled. “You could have a throne for yourself. You won’t have to wander like a nomad for much longer. The mortals… They fear you. That’s how our relationships should be. They are lesser than us, and I’m afraid those pompous gods outside of the Caldera have gotten comfortable with the fleeting adoration of the mortals. What has happened? We’ve gone soft, Lu Ten. You don’t remember, but your father and I used to gorge ourselves in war.” Ozai took in a heavy breath. “Those were the days.”

“What happened?”

He took a long time to answer. “I needed to return to my domain.”

The true answer wasn’t as simple as that. As Iroh lost his power, Ozai had been defeated by the greatest opponent: love. It was Zuko and Azula’s mother who had ended Ozai’s rampage. 

“Gone are the days of the vengeful god,” Lu Ten muttered. 

“You and your youthful gods… The gods of current know nothing of what it once was. Your grandfather, Azulon… he used to wear the skulls of his enemies like trophies. It was so regal. And, your great grandfather, Sozin, slew gods and the last of the hecatoncheires. Our lineage was so powerful, and I’m afraid that I’ve reduced myself. Azula and Zuko live such a different life because of it.”

“What do you get from this?” Lu Ten asked roughly. “What do we all get from this? Complete control? And, then what? There has to be more to this?”

Zuko waited expectantly for the response, it seemed that Ozai had fallen silent. He had fallen silent for much too long. He spared a glance at the dragons, and Druk seemed to betray his presence with a long and adoring stare. 

“Come out, Zuko.”

There was no point in hiding anymore, so Zuko turned the corner with fake-confidence. His father always had that ever-present scowl on his face, the kind that reminded him of his inferiority. 

Lu Ten gazed down at Zuko with a dry expression. His jaw shifted upon Zuko’s arrival. Once close enough, his famed spear, the one that ended countless lives, found itself pointed at the fire god’s nose. The God-Slayer… “The key to good eavesdropping is not getting caught.”

Zuko summoned his own weapon to slash the spear away in a fearsome display of fire and sparks. The sword popped loudly as the tip glazed the marble floors. Zuko felt like he could hide behind the glowing sword, hot like it was still in the forge.

Lu Ten then held his spear casually. “I see you’ve made good use of the present from my father. May I see it?”

“No.”

“My son is hostile. Excuse him.”

“No need,” Lu Ten muttered. His voice was like rusted steel on stone. “I know all about the Sun Flare. It once belonged to Agni, they say. He forged it in the heat of the sun and cooled it in the icy waters of the Underworld. Tell me, Zuko, does it truly have the power to cleanly cut someone in half?”

“I’m afraid now isn’t an appropriate time for a demonstration.” 

“You are not the prime example, right now, of what is appropriate.” Ozai’s humorless voice snapped the conversation back on him. It would be foolish to pretend like Zuko wasn’t in some sort of predicament. “When I was young, very early in my years, I was caught eavesdropping by my father. Do you know what happened to me?”

Zuko resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “You were locked in the eternal darkness for a year.”

“I was locked in the eternal darkness for a year. Yes, and when I came out, I learned some respect. The difference between you and I is that I was able to conquer my father in battle. Once I did that, I was able to do whatever I wanted.”

“I think Zuko has heard too much of your scheme to be ignored any longer.” Lu Ten’s hardened eyes soaked in Zuko’s discomfort. “After all, it seems that my cousin could use a confidence booster.”

“I think he has too much confidence for the sorry soul that he actually is.” Ozai’s shimmering garb swished with his movement. It was hard to ignore him. “He has his mission, but… I suppose it can wait. Say, boy, are you loyal to me?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

He knelt. “Yes, Lord Ozai, I owe my entire existence to you. You have shown me mercy in my weakness, and so I am loyal to you.”

This caused a cocky smile from his father. Yes. This was how it was supposed to be. Zuko was lucky to be alive. Zuko was lucky. And, he would never forget it. No one would ever let him forget it. 

“Good.” Ozai always drew out his vowels when speaking to his son. “Lu Ten is right. There’s no point in keeping you in the dark. You’ve heard it all. To be honest, I didn’t think you to be… driven enough. You surprised me just now. Not many can avoid my notice.” The shadows of Ozai’s eyes were so hard to read. Ozai had always been an enigma. “So, that gives me reluctant hope that I can put my trust in you.”

Zuko almost jumped from his position. “I want you to know that you can always trust me as your son.”

“It’s been some time since your last… mishap. I will give you another chance.”

This time Zuko jumped from his position. “Thank you, Father.”

Normally, Ozai would correct his son, but a ghosted smile twitched at his lips. “Consider this a gift.” From his boney fingers, two letters appeared from the shadows. “Jin has pestered me enough to respond to the surface. I find that the contents of these letters are better received in person. I was going to send Azula and all her charm, but you will do.”

Zuko’s fingers twitched towards the letters, almost afraid to take them. But, he did. His heart suddenly started to hurt. He was going to the surface. He was free to see the sky and flowers... and he wondered if she was out there. 

“Take Druk,” Ozai ordered. After hearing his name, Druk found a way to clumsily sniff at Zuko. “You’ll be going to two different places. The first is for a goddess by the name of Toph. She is the patron goddess of the city-state known as Gaoling.”

Lu Ten piped in. “They are famous for their excellent olives.”

The other two paused at Lu Ten’s strange remark. Ozai cleared his throat. “Yes… The second is for the one they call Katara. You will find her at an oasis near the south pole. I personally find her domain to be a worthless wasteland, but you are free to your own opinion.”

“Yes… Yes.” Zuko said it with more conviction. “I will get this done efficiently. When I return, I hope that I can have a place in your plan, Father.”

Ozai gave no notion of a response as Zuko turned to the river. “Before you summon the ferryman, I feel like I would warn you. The gods at the surface hold resentment toward us. You expect feverous parties at your arrival but expect nothing. Us chthonic gods are misunderstood. That’s all.” 

Zuko listened half-heartedly. He was leaving. He was going to the surface. The ferryman appeared as Lu Ten presented an obol for Zuko. 

He was gone. Zuko would feel the sun. Zuko would feel the breeze. He would see clouds. He would see mortals. He would talk to deities other than those in the Caldera. 

“Wait!”

It was Azula who interrupted Zuko’s escape. Her entrance was overshadowed by the ferryman, whose name was lost to time. It was believed that Ozai was the only one who knew the ferryman’s name. Zuko couldn’t ask of course. The poor spirit was bound to silence unless his name was spoken. 

“It seems this is turning into a family reunion,” Ozai said bitterly, collapsing into his throne with irritation. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Azula squawked, her cheeks tinted pink with exertion. 

“To the surface,” he said smugly. 

The ferryman hissed.

Druk stared. 

Azula raised an eyebrow. 

The realization hit her. “Oh.” The slow-growing smile that oozed of knowing animosity would have set Zuko off. Now was not the time for games. “Better you than me. Don’t go falling in love with any of those lazy deities. A weak-willed soul like yours is bound to grow attachments.”

“You shouldn’t go making assumptions about me.”

Azula pushed the ferry from the dock that appeared behind her father’s throne with force. “Have fun, Zuzu.”

She waited until Zuko’s form was no more to turn to Lu Ten and the back of Ozai’s throne with a humorous expression. “You, Father, are terrible.”

“The boy overheard everything.”

“So what?”

“He’s been complaining about the surface for so long, I figured I’d let him see for himself. Maybe he’ll learn the hard way. A chance like this doesn’t come every day. Zuko will come back with his tail between his legs.”

Azula noticed the exhaustion in her father’s voice. He would be irritable soon. It was best to make her closing remarks. “Perhaps. Lu Ten, would you walk me to my chambers?”

He gave her a strange look. “Yes.”

And so, Lu Ten walked with his cousin down a quiet hall, both festering with questions on the growing issue at hand. There was Ozai to consider with his vague and unknown motives. But then, there was Zuko.

“You know why he wants to go up there so badly?”

“No.”

“Hm, Zuko and my father are so painfully similar in their motivations.”

“I don’t understand your father or your brother.”

Azula laughed at that. “That’s because those two are ruled by their emotions. You, a hardened warrior, would never understand something like that. Even I find it hard to follow.”

“You act like you’re better than them.”

“Maybe because I am.”

The Ferryman (Name Redacted)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say....?
> 
> THANK GOD IM DONE WITH THE SEMESTER HOLY SHIT
> 
> Now that that's out of the way, here's a plot-drivin' chapter. It may seem like a whiplash, and that's because Ozai's decision is. The next few updates are going to introduce our favorite characters. I hope you're all excited. 
> 
> I'd love to hear feedback in all forms, and I hope you enjoyed the update!
> 
> Peace out


	4. Ether

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Generations of Chthonic Gods followed the same code. If the Great Gods of the Fire Nation don’t follow their own rules, then how would the mortals do the same?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :0

IV

Ether

The Ferryman smelled like death and not the good kind that Azula talked about so often. The Ferryman smelled like rotting flesh and open wounds. The stench was so pungent that it covered up the sulfuric scent of the river. Zuko was itching to get off the boat. It was tight, the Ferryman smelled like a corpse, and Druk was breathing heavily in Zuko’s ear. The closer Zuko got to the surface, the hotter the scenery got and the more restless the spirits got. 

There were some things in the Caldera that were more monster than man. Nightmare fuel for mortals. Zuko found these beings more upsetting than anything. Most of those creatures were creations and curses from the gods of old. 

Ozai said that this was one of the few disadvantages of ruling the Underworld. The gods on the surface treated it as a container for all their mistakes and cruelties. 

He made no attempt to speak with the Ferryman despite the growing interest the Ferryman had in the fire god. Every so often, the hooded figure glanced back. The darkness of his hood showed nothing but the sad eyes that glowed a deep red. From under the Ferryman’s sleeves, blackened, boney hands gripped the oar, skin so tight that Zuko didn’t know where the skin ended and the bone began. 

When they reached the large, imposing doors to and out of the Underworld, the Ferryman stared upon Zuko with a longing gaze. 

“What?” Zuko was growing annoyed. “What is it?”

The Ferryman simply hissed in response. 

Zuko clicked his tongue in annoyance. This was the only response he would get. “It’s too bad I don’t know your name. I feel like you hold information that would be too great for this world. Take your coin and go.”

The Ferryman undocked the boat and sailed back in silence.

“Strange.”

He didn’t dwell on it. Zuko rushed to the doors, pausing just to feel the grit of the cut stone details. He turned back to Druk with a stretched grin. Even the dragon showed some sort of draconian delight. 

Zuko was scared to open those doors. He felt like there was some kind of otherworldly force keeping him from doing so. The Fates? Who knew? Zuko had been waiting for this moment all his dreary life. Azula spoke so lowly of the surface. Mai hardly spoke of it. But, Ty Lee gushed about the surface. She sang of the seasons and their fickle tendencies. No matter. Zuko was ready. 

The light was blinding. It hurt Zuko’s eyes as he emerged from the darkness into the day. He stood there for a moment, covering his eyes from Agni’s light, but he felt it: the breeze. This was the breeze of the Fire Nation. It was thick with salt from the ocean and dew from the morning. It tossed his hair, sticking stubbornly to his skin. Thank the gods that it didn’t smell heavily of fire lilies. He was sick of the flowers and the darkness. 

Zuko cracked open an eye to see green as far as he could imagine. Green. Grass. Oh, this was what grass felt like. He dropped to the ground and took fistfuls of it. It was colder than he expected. The uncomfortable heat of the Caldera’s lava unnerved him, but this was pleasant and he felt stronger.

Yes, the sun was making him stronger. He couldn’t help but propel himself into the air, wild jets of fire behind him. This was right. Zuko belonged here. 

Druk was the one to break him from his trance. As Zuko admired the wind in his face and the horizon in his view, Druk flew next to him, a blank reminder that he was here on business.

“Right, to Gaoling.” Zuko found a spot on Druk’s neck. Flying was a strange sensation to Zuko. He hadn’t had the chance to do so in the Caldera due to the constraints of his jail. 

The air on his face stung. He hadn’t expected that. It was a cleansing sting as if all the darkness and the heaviness of his lineage ripped away in the wind. If only. The truth of his being was a sticky tar to Zuko’s soul, as permanent as the scar on his face. 

Many wondered of the origin of the scar. Zuko’s scar came from a place of fear and cruelty. The rumors that surrounded it were as fantastical as they came. Some say that it was a mark of the damned, that he was born with the scar as a punishment for existing. Others say that it was self-inflicted, to show his own hatred towards his being. Why people would believe such a story is unknown. Perhaps they believe it because it is so much easier to swallow than the truth. 

The young god knew of the many things that were said of him. He did receive prayers after all. 

_ Why do you hide away, Lord Zuko? _

The answer is not as simple as Zuko would put it. ‘Because my father, Lord of the Underworld said ‘no.’ It is easy to say that. What Zuko is locked down to is code. Generations of Chthonic Gods followed the same code. If the Great Gods of the Fire Nation don’t follow their own rules, then how would the mortals do the same?

Zuko fought off those memories. That was a long time ago. Right now, Zuko focused his mind on the thrill of flight and the fact that he had absolutely no idea where he was going. Well, kind of. 

“Druk, do you know how to get to Gaoling?” 

The giant, red dragon huffed in response.

“I hope that’s a yes. This is stupid, I’ve studied every text on cartography and navigation. I know where we’re going. I’ve just… never had a chance to put myself to the test.” He pointed to the sun. “It’s early, so the sun is in the east. That’s where we need to go. I’m glad no one else is here to listen to me having a one-sided conversation. It would ruin my image.” He glanced at the dragon. “That might be an exaggeration seeing as I haven’t so much as smiled until stepping outside.”

* * *

Gaoling was not what Zuko expected in a city-state. Granted, he had only been informed of the most cultivated of the city-states of the Earth Kingdom such as Omashu and Ba Sing Se. All the greatest heroes can from there, but Gaoling was famous for agriculture. Other than Ba Sing Se, Gaoling was the second-largest producer of food in the Earth Kingdom. Corn, wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco, olives… They say the land is blessed. 

It certainly didn’t look like a blessed land, but what did Zuko know. As Druk flew over the city-state, Zuko suddenly felt what the texts were talking about. It may not look like it, but it feels like it. The mortals wouldn’t be able to feel this kind of energy, but the patron goddess of this city-state is incredibly powerful.

He didn’t know where to start. The bustling streets from above looked strange with all those ant-like people. A powerful goddess wouldn’t be with the people. That was for the weaker deities who needed the mortal’s support to survive. 

At the top of the mountain, a large, opulent temple overlooked Gaoling. If a goddess would be anywhere, she would be there. 

Zuko had no idea how other gods contacted each other. What kind of etiquette was there? When Zuko was being summoned, Azula would just show up. Jin usually just appeared in a flash of light. So, it made the most sense to land Druk right on the top of the temple. 

Some of the tiles gave way to the dragon’s weight, crashing into the perfectly crafted statues around the temple. The common folk screamed and scrambled at the dragon’s appearance. Rather than attack, which wasn’t in Druk’s nature, the tired dragon stretched out and soaked up the sun through its polished scales. That didn’t ease the mortals, because the screaming and running got more hectic as Zuko jumped down from Druk’s heaving neck. 

If the dragon in all his terrifying grace didn’t scare the mortals, then Zuko finished the job. There was a small swell of pride as mortals fled from his presence. His father would be proud. 

“Who are you?”

It seemed that there was one mortal left. A brave one at that. 

Zuko raised his chin with pride. It seemed that the menacing Druk was not enough to shout out his identity. 

“You’re brave to be in my presence.” That sounded like something Azula would say. His fingers burst into flames. “I am Zuko, God of Fire.”

“Woah.”

Zuko scowled at the mortal. “Scram.”

They did.

The temple was nothing to scoff at, but it had none of the grandeur of his home. It was bathed in green banners and gold leaf. The temple had all the richness of a powerful patroness. With a twitch of the face, Zuko entered. 

It smelled like frankincense and storax. The mortals were generous with their offerings. Incense wasn’t cheap. He grew jealous as he walked into the cella. They loved her. The sweet scents and golden offerings proved it. 

“Ah, so you must be Toph.”

The large marble statue of her likeness would be intimidating if it wasn’t garbed into large floral wreaths.

“Who are you?!”

Zuko turned to the accusatory and springy tenor voice. A god, and a swift-moving one at that. Nothing was intimidating about him. In fact, the moment the god got close enough, he backed away a step. 

“You obviously aren’t the goddess they call Toph.”

The god’s eyebrows hitched to his forehead which sported a light blue arrow. A sky god… The thin and wispy wings sprouted from behind his ears. The sky god was staring at Zuko’s face, specifically his scar. His father was right about the sky gods. He looked weak. 

“Are you from the Underworld?” His voice took on a high squeak. “Because, if you are—”

“And, what if I am?” He summoned Sun Flare, holding the tip under the sky god’s chin or at least for a moment before the god spirited away. “I come from the Caldera to deliver a message to Toph. You are not Toph, so I have no business with you.”

The sky god flew around the temple aimlessly. “Actually, you do. I’m Aang, the God of the South Wind and a good friend of the Toph you are looking for.” Aang had a friendly face, the kind that belonged to a personable fellow. “Considering you dropped your menacing dragon on the top of her home, she might not want to meet with you.”

Zuko turned away with a frustrated sigh. “Just show me to her, and I’ll be out of your hair.”

This sky god, Aang, was surprisingly irritating and different. This smug little twerp was being difficult and on purpose. 

“Hm… I don’t know… You were pretty rude. But, I can’t blame you for that. It must have been a long trip from the Caldera. I’ve only been once. Very beautiful.” Aang gave him that impish grin that ticked him off. He seemed like too much of a gentle guy to be any threat. How annoying.

“Yes, it was quite the trip.”

“How come I’ve never seen you before? We don’t get many letters from the Caldera here or at the Southern Air Temples. And, when we do, it’s that scary death goddess.”

“Goddess of the dead, and her name is Azula.”

“She’s terrifying.”

“Are you going to take me to Toph or what?” 

“Oh, right… um,” Aang swooped down and grabbed Zuko by the shoulders. “You might get sick.”

“Wha—?”

Zuko wasn’t sure if they tore through space or if they had moved really, really fast. It was only the blink of an eye. So, this is how Jin transports herself around. 

There were… underground? And, there were badgermoles everywhere. It was a stark contrast to where they were before. 

“Ah, so this is the god of fire,” a girlish voice called out. “I was afraid that I would never get the chance to meet you, Hotman.”

Zuko’s knees buckled. Aang was right about the travel upsetting his stomach, yet he held himself well. He would not make a fool of himself while in the presence of the surface gods. Or, in this goddess’s case, half-surface. 

“Ha!” Aang laughed. “Hotman! I like that.”

“I don’t,” Zuko grumbled. “Are you Toph?”

The goddess stepped out of the shadows, the vision of the ethereal. She wore the fanciest fabrics that Zuko had ever seen, stitched with gold and beadings. The spiky gold crown she wore was probably worth more than three noblemen’s fortunes. She was tiny and even smaller between those thick-set bangs covering her face. “To my knowledge, yes. And, you’re Zuko. Son of Ozai and Ursa. Brother to Azula.”

“You seem to know me well.”

“I know everything. That’s my job.”

“Er?”

“I’m the goddess of knowledge,” she said deadpan, staring not at Zuko but past him. This wasn’t what Zuko expected from such a powerful goddess. The goddess of knowledge was short, dirty-footed, and hiding in an underground cave. “I’m not hiding in an underground cave. This is how I see everything best. Put me, somewhere else, well… I’m no good.”

“How did you—?”

“I know everything!” She threw her arm up in desperation. “What about that don’t you get.”

“Don’t get frustrated with him,” Aang consoled, leaving Zuko’s side. “He’s new here. You should be happy that you get a visitor.”

The surly goddess crossed her arms. Aang walked around her empty domain, poking at the loose roots from the ceiling. She didn’t follow his actions, but she knew exactly what was going on. “It finally clicked in your mind that I’m blind.”

“Do you read minds?”

“No, I’m just good at my job.” Toph picked at her ear. “So, Zuko, you have a letter for me from Lord Ozai? Finally. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?”

“No, but you probably do.”

That earned a raucous laugh from Toph and a jump from Aang. She laughed uncouthly, her head knocked backward and her cackles filling the cavern. “I like you, Hotman. You’re different. First, you land your dragon on my temple like a lunatic. This place is directly under the temple, so I saw all of it. Can you imagine my surprise? Ha! You, my hotheaded friend—”

“I’m not your friend.”

“—are going to change things. I just know it.”

Aang, who was petting a badgermole, piped in, “You certainly know how to make an entrance.”

“Is there a reason you stand so far away from me?” Zuko growled, earning a flinch from the sky god.

“You must not know,” Toph explained.

“Absolutely not!”

“Hm, that’s something you’ll have to learn yourself.”

Zuko’s face twisted into a sneer. His lethal stare felt painful and piercing as if his glare was tearing Aang’s being apart with a blinding light. He misunderstood Zuko, and now their meeting was tarnished. 

“Do you want this letter or not?” Zuko growled. 

“Twinkletoes?” Toph called out. 

“What? You don’t know the contents?” Zuko scoffed. 

Toph’s lips tightened. “Hotman,” she chided. “I’m not omnipotent. I can’t read, I can’t see the future, and I can’t see the Underworld. If I could, then I’d be one of the Fates. I don’t know all, but I know that you shouldn’t tarnish what few alliances you have.”

Aang took the letter from Zuko and immediately opened it. His big, grey eyes stagnantly scanned the parchment. He paused for a moment, looking confused then very nervous. Zuko found the reaction odd, but not concerning. His father used very strong wording. 

“What does it say, Twinkletoes?”

Aang paused, his throat bobbing nervously. “We can talk about it later. For now, Hotman probably wants to be reunited with his dragon.”

“Druk, isn’t it?”

Zuko understood that Aang was attempting to escort him out. Fine. He had other places to be anyway.

Aang, God of the South Wind

Toph, Goddess of Knowledge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more of our favorite characters have made their debut. I hope you like their characterizations and designs, especially Toph's. I originally was going to have her be something more literal (like Goddess of Bronze or Iron or Rocks or Whatever), but I thought this was more coherent and fun. 
> 
> Next up: Two more characters show up, and there's some big-time action so stay tuned. 
> 
> As always, I greatly appreciate everyone who has supported me so far! You guys rock!
> 
> Peace out!


	5. Frost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I am not something you can just yell at to release your frustrations! I’ve humored you long enough! Now, get away from me or I’m going to start burning things down!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

V

Frost

Sokka found Katara where she always went to be alone, the shore. She often sat at the very edge, legs pulled to her chest and toes grazing the waves. Katara hadn’t changed since she was a little goddess.

“Well, I expected a festival in my honor, but this works too,” Sokka teased. 

Katara jumped to her feet. “Sokka? What—?” The words were hard to force out over her explosive smile. “What are you doing here? What about the North Pole? They need you! Or, or Ba Sing Se, or Omashu!”

“I decided to return to my roots and visit my annoying little sister.” He crushed her in a tight hug, the intricate parts of his armor digging into her skin. 

The siblings born of the South Pole, children of the god of winter, could not have been more different. Sokka, the elder, was born with no affinity for the ice he was to inherit. Instead, the god was blessed with the wisdom of the great ancient generals. The warrior god, the patron of champions… Sokka, the God of Strategy, was the protector and inspiration of many cities, for he blessed them with inventions and military strength. As for his younger sister, Katara, she was blessed with an extraordinary talent, a talent that comes around once in a millennium. Katara became the Lady of the Southern Sea. Taking on such a responsibility caused the goddess to become extremely invested in her work, protecting the seafarers and controlling the seas. 

Their work separated them. Katara stayed in their childhood temple, and Sokka traveled to cities that needed him. One would say that Katara had the short end of the stick, and one would say Sokka had it. The answer to that is not clear.

“Your devoted followers are going to miss you,” Katara wryly commented once Sokka was done throwing her around. The crunch of the sand under her feet was stifled by the rising waves. 

Sokka laughed, crass and annoyingly loud. The nymphs and sea creatures probably were all alerted of his presence. “We’re _gods_. We could do no wrong. You know, I’ve never met a deity that is hated by the mortals. Literally never.”

“Don’t say that. Having a complex is bad practice.”

“Ah, Katara… Live a little. You’re so stiff all the time.”

“You didn’t come to criticize me, right?” She crossed her arms. “If I wanted that, I’d visit Toph.”

He responded with a crooked smile. “No, no. I’m not criticizing you. I just think you could use some excitement. Tell me you aren’t itching to test out those powers of yours. I mean, there’s no greater thrill than combat… and good meat.”

“There’s more to existence than combat and meat, Sokka,” she chided. “At least, you aren’t going on about how you think men are better than women, and blah, blah, blah.” She walked away from the shoreline, soaking in the salty air with a big stretch. “Anyway, how long do you think you’ll be here? The rest of the summer?”

“I’m afraid less.”

She stopped in her tracks. “Oh.”

Katara would never admit it but… she was lonely. Having her own realm was incredible, but it was lonely. Katara didn’t blame them, but Sokka left and her father left. Deities came by. She had suitors. Katara was loved by the mortals, very dearly in fact, yet that wasn’t the same as having Sokka around.

“Have you seen Father lately?”

“No.”

“Well, he is busy.”

“It’s not even winter,” she said coldly, storming off. She knew that Sokka didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject. Katara tried not to be bitter, but her father made his choice. She didn’t want to admit it, but they were more similar than she wanted to believe. 

Sokka shuffled to her side. “You’re right about that. Wait, wait, what’s wrong?”

Something was wrong. Katara couldn’t always sense when someone was there, but this being was so contrary that it was impossible for her to not notice.“Someone’s here.”

“Who?”

“Someone who doesn’t belong here.”

* * *

The cold that had seemed mild at first now became fierce and unyielding. The Water Tribes used to be isolated from the rest of the world. The people there hold tightly to their traditions and are proud of their heritage. The political matters of the other nations held no purpose to them until the war between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. Since then, the Water Tribes have been tied closely to the rest of the world. 

A heavy puff of smoke came from Zuko’s nose. It was taking a lot of energy to keep himself warm as he and Druk flew to the South Pole. He had no idea where he would find Katara, but they explained that he would know when he was there. 

He fervently tried to melt away the ice that clung to his hair. Zuko had a lot to learn about life on the surface. The temperature changes were annoying. He decided that the tropical nature of the Fire Nation was much more comfortable than this. If he had to keep heating up the air, he wouldn’t make it back to the Underworld. 

Druk seemed to be slowing down too. His scales were frosted against the snowy wind and cold to the touch. Zuko tried to keep Druk warm too, but the icy wind froze him over again. 

The weather was picking up unnaturally. In that wasteland of white, there was nothing for his mind to hang onto. There was no familiar sight, no sound other than the howling, even the fire they needed to warm them was instead blinding and no match for the wind. This had to be it. 

It had to be. It was like he and Druk and flown into a wall of white. Zuko was already irritated beyond belief, so it wasn’t that surprising that he exploded into flames to melt the forming snowstorm. Zuko was sick of the cold. He was sick of this trip. He just wanted to go back. He couldn’t believe it. Was this his father’s plan all along? Take him to the most obscure places, the most grueling places? This was horrible. It was all horrible. 

And then the white wall disappeared. It was warmer. It was a completely different place than the cold ocean he was flying over. It was an island. In the middle of that island was a large temple. It was beautiful. Under all the frost and snow, Zuko was in awe. He looked back to check for the wall of white, but it was gone. 

This time, Zuko wasn’t going to land Druk on the top of the temple. He learned that wasn’t very polite. 

Druk landed with a quake in the shallows. With a loud groan, the dragon curled into a deep rest. This climate was probably much more enjoyable than in Gaoling. 

“We’re almost done,” Zuko said to Druk as he stroked his nose. “I’m sorry that this is harder than I expected.”

Where was he? There was the dazzling blue of the ocean, the immaculate white beaches, the rich, elemental green of the surrounding vegetation. It was completely unlike the vision of the Southern Water Tribe. There were no mountains or glaciers. It looked closer to the heavy contrasting Fire Nation. 

Zuko treaded up the sandy path with urgency. Nymphs giggled as he walked by. He spared a glance. They were beautiful, but they all gasped when they saw his scar. He continued with a scowl. 

“Halt.”

Zuko only stopped when a spear was pointed in his face. The spear belonged to a god, a very angry god.

“I’m here on business,” Zuko grit out. 

“You’re from the Underworld.” The god wore the fanciest armor he had ever seen. It was even fancier than Lu Ten’s. It looked like it belonged to a war hero. The god, backed by several sea creatures that Zuko had never seen before, spoke with such disgust that Zuko almost ignited his fists. 

“What? Can you smell it on me?” Zuko said sardonically. 

“Yes.”

Zuko clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Look. I’m here to deliver a letter to the goddess they call Katara.”

The god and the sea creatures behind him all laughed. The longer it went on, the tighter Zuko’s jaw got. “That’s not happening!”

“Under whose authority?”

“Do you know who I am?” the god said.

“No.”

The god smirked at the sea creatures behind him. “He doesn’t know who I am…” He turned to Zuko. “My name is Sokka. I’m the god of strategy and the brother to Katara. I’d say I have some authority here.”

Sokka… Zuko disliked him, but he was also jealous of him. He had all the pompous attitude that Zuko once had. Sokka had full locks and an unblemished face. He reminded Zuko of everything he wasn’t. 

“Look, I’m not leaving until I deliver this letter to Katara personally.”

“ _Lady Katara_ ,” a sea creature piped up.

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Deities and their titles…”

“Jin should have delivered it.” Sokka pressed his spearhead closer. 

“Well, Jin isn’t here. I am. My dragon and I are not leaving!”

Sokka looked a little taken aback before dropping his spear. The god of strategy turned his back to the fire god, and let out a sigh. “Fine, but you have no business here. Deliver your letter and go. You aren’t welcome here.”

Zuko followed Sokka. It seemed that everyone there had some sort of grudge against him. They stared daggers at him just for walking by. Whatever. They could glare all they wanted. He would give them the same glare back. 

The temple was built of porous and colorful sea rock and shells. Zuko was impressed by the temple and how it somehow soaked up so much brine that it forever smelled like the sea. It wasn’t filled with the type of things he expected. Instead of gold, it was full of things he didn’t recognize from the Water Tribes. Instead of a likeness, Katara stood there herself, glowering down from her seat. 

So, that was Katara. 

“Who are you?” She didn’t sound like she was in the mood for banter. Sokka took her side as if she needed extra intimidation.

“Zuko, God of Fire. You must be the Katara I’m looking for. Goddess of the Southern Sea.”

Her eyes narrowed. They were piercing even from that distance. “You shouldn’t be here.”

He looked around at all the angry creatures. “I don’t particularly want to be here either.”

“Then why are you here? Chthonic gods are not welcome here.”

Zuko almost laughed. “I get it. You don’t want me here. I’m getting a little tired of you all repeating it. I have a letter from my father, Lord Ozai. Do you want it or not? Because, if you don’t, let me know. I’ll gladly leave.” 

Katara rose from her seat and stormed towards Zuko, shells under her feet scattering on the ground. Unlike the effortlessly powerful Toph, it was clear that Katara had cultivated an image of power. He held his ground. This façade would not last on Zuko. As she stood face to face, invading Zuko’s personal space, he noticed that her fancy chiton covered in pearls was made of water and naturally coursed around her body. Neat trick. 

“I’d like to see the letter,” Katara ordered it like he was one of her subjects. He wasn’t a sea creature to be ordered around, but the faster he complied, the faster he could leave. 

She ripped it from his hands as if it was growing tainted in his hands. This was the sentiment that everyone warned him about? Disgusting. Such hostility was unnecessary. 

As Katara’s eyes frantically read the words over and over, he took a better look at the goddess. Katara had a strong way about her. It echoed Azula’s nature, but no one could ever mimic Azula. Her hair, full and voluminous, seemed to hold the bounties of the sea, pearls, shells, coral for a laurel, and necklace unlike he had ever seen. It was impressive, and she was… impressive. Katara was no goddess to gawk at though. If Zuko had learned anything during his short visit, it would be that Katara held the rage of the ocean and was not afraid to show it. 

“The nerve…” Katara whispered to herself before rolling up the letter. “Is this your idea of a joke?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Is this,” she pointed to the parchment. “Your idea of a joke? Of all the disrespectful things…”

“I didn’t write it, so there’s no need to bark at me.” Zuko turned his gaze away from the goddess who started to bristle.

Sokka laughed behind her, causing his younger sister to pink in anger. When she turned to give him a dirty look, that chuckle died like a doused flame. It would have been humorous under different circumstances. 

“Allow me to read it aloud then… ‘To Katara, Goddess of the Southern Sea. I, Lord Ozai, have received your numerous letters about the troubles in the Southern Water Tribe. To blame me for your problems is a childish mistake. I have no control over the griffins and daemons that you claim to be plaguing your land. In fact, it is of the highest disrespect to claim that I do. If you wish to solve your problem, then I suggest that you use your unlimited power to fix it yourself. Lord of the Underworld, Ozai’ That is a complete and total lie! Historically speaking, daemons come from the Caldera!”

“And griffins,” Sokka added.

“And griffins,” Katara repeated. She started pacing, her fidgeting mirroring her growing temper. Through all of this, Zuko stood still. Was this a beautiful place? Yes. Was Katara a complete and total pain? Also yes. 

“My father has no time to be terrorizing your Water Tribes.” Zuko’s harsh gaze caught Katara’s, and she didn’t look away. “Unlike here, the Underworld is a busy place that takes numerous hands to keep it running. It doesn’t make sense.”

“It does! It does because your father has attacked us in the past.”

Here it went… “You seem to misunderstand. My father said you would misunderstand. Just because we’re from the Underworld doesn’t mean that we’re evil. I mean, what did we ever do to you? I’ve—I’ve been met with complete animosity this entire trip. I haven’t done anything bad! So, why do you hate me!? I’m not evil! My father is not evil!”

Every time Zuko opened his mouth, it seemed that Katara was getting angrier. His taunting and own frustrations had fueled her own emotions. She matched him notch for notch. 

“Your father killed my mother!” Katara screamed, the force of her rage scaring everyone but Zuko. “He _is_ evil!”

“That’s impossible!”

“Are you calling me a liar!?” Katara took a step back as if he had struck her. “I don’t know where you came from or what world you’re living in, but your family is a terror to this world! My people didn’t even take the worst of it! What your father did to the Air Temples was catastrophic! You seriously don’t know that!?”

Zuko was starting to feel cornered. Katara was taking heavy strides towards him, making Zuko back off step for step. She was still talking. The anger clouding her eyes showed the scared child within, the goddess who was starved of the love she craved. He knew that feeling. Each maliciously punctuated word could have hit him in the face, but he hadn’t been listening. 

“Enough!” Zuko snarled. “I am not something you can just yell at to release your frustrations! I’ve humored you long enough! Now, get away from me or I’m going to start burning things down!”

* * *

That was taken as a challenge. Zuko was so deep into it that he didn’t even fight them as they all marched to the shore. The idea of fighting Katara sounded perfect. It would feel good to let loose on some rude goddess. 

Katara couldn’t possibly fight Zuko in her condition. Her garb was tight to her body, a fact that he would forcibly ignore, so she couldn’t keep up. Then it occurred to Zuko that he was on her turf. They were right next to the ocean. Damn. It would be fine. Zuko was powerful and anger gave him an edge that would tip the scales. 

Many eyes were on them. Zuko took a large stretch over the head and called out,” You think you’re ready to take me on?”

“More than ready.”

He scoffed. Damn confident goddess. He would show them. “The traditional—” A huge wave flew from the sea and crashed right on him. Before it hit, Zuko gyrated a shield of fire to protect himself. “I guess she doesn’t care.”

When the water didn’t cease, Zuko burst open with a particularly violent tunnel of fire. He rushed forward, charring the sand with his footprint. She was ready, a wall of ice protecting herself. His shoulder crushed through it only for her not to be there.

Then she was above him, crashing another wave on him. This time Zuko was ready to combat it with an equal counterpart. Steam filled the cavern, melting the ice surrounding him. 

They were stagnant for a moment before Zuko propelled himself into her stomach, ready to tackle her back to the ground. She was too fast. He had to commend her for that. She moved like the water she controlled. Moving around like that was bound to tire her out, so keep dodging. 

A water whip curled around his foot and yanked him into the sand with a heavy thud and a cloud surrounding him. Before he could swallow sand, Zuko fired at her from the foot said had caught. Katara narrowly escaped that with a puff of steam. 

“You certainly fight better than you look.” Zuko was surprised to hear the backhanded comment come from his mouth but did not attempt to deny the words. She deserved no comment from him. 

A water whip snapped him backward. “Thanks. I had to learn at a young age because of _your_ father.”

Zuko went to hurl a ball of fire, but he felt a clench in his chest. He had forgotten. The whole time he and Druk were flying, he had been wasting his energy. It was all but dried up at this point. No. Not now. 

“Are you going to get up?” Katara taunted. “Or, have you come to your senses? I wouldn’t blame you. Water always trumps fire.”

Her taunting woke him up from his brief weakness. He was not about to lose to her. So, Zuko twisted up a whirl of fire to back Katara away from him and get her on her heels. It worked. Every ice spear immediately melted against his fire jabs. Katara was reeling fast, and she was getting desperate. 

Zuko had been on her heels for a long time. The fight was getting out of her control after each minute. He looked winded but was still fighting strong. It must have been an exciting spectacle for all who were watching. Fire and water clashing like this… It was incredible, but it lasted too long. 

So, it was time for desperate measures. He had her against the shore. That was his mistake. He was close, so close that the heat of his hands was evaporating the mist around her garb. 

Katara disappeared into the water. In her place, a sea monster, one much too big to be lurking in the shallows, jumped out and promptly swallowed Zuko whole. 

It was silent. 

Katara, who was hiding in the wake, escaped from her hiding spot with a heaving chest. She pet its barnacled nose. The charybdis growled and then shifted towards the open sea. 

“Oh. My. Gods, Katara. You summoned a sea monster to kill that jerk?! That’s incredible.” Sokka was always vocal towards her feats. “You are incredible!”

Katara struggled to catch her breath. Summoning creatures of that magnitude drained her. “I didn’t kill him. Gods don’t die like that. The charybdis is just going to swim out of the boundaries and release him into the waters. That… might kill him if he’s dumb.”

“The nerve of that guy, right?” Sokka was talking to everyone. “Walks in here like he owns the place. And, after all his kind did.”

Katara was about to say something but an explosion echoed loud and shook the water, causing some of the weak-balanced to fall amongst themselves. “What in the—” It was the sea monster, guts and scales staining the surrounding water. 

Zuko slowly marched by to Katara. He was practically a torch. Fire surrounded his being, a fearsome sight. This was the true form of the god of fire. The water around him sizzled loudly into the air so that he walked on the seafloor. 

Katara took a deep breath at the tenacity of this god. “You brutally killed a gentle creature of the sea.”

“Gentle creature of the sea? Please. You all saw how that thing swallowed me. If you wanted the creature to be safe, then you shouldn’t have used it so selfishly. Now, I suggest that you yield before I char you into the Underworld.” Right as he said that, his torched form died out and he collapsed into a heap of sand and sea monster guts. 

Katara snorted. “Oh, fearsome god, I beg for your forgiveness. You’ve got to be kidding me. Don’t you think you’re overstaying your unwelcome?”

“Nothing would give me more pleasure.” He struggled to his knees, the weakness was coursing through him like poison. Once he met Katara’s eyes, all the rage in him felt flooded away. He had made a fool of himself. He… hated her. Did he hate her? That didn’t feel right. This was loathing. It was. “I’m leaving.”

And so he did. Druk was waiting for him. 

Katara watched him leave with no satisfaction. What a horrible mess. “Was this the kind of excitement you meant, Sokka?”

He appeared at her side to watch Zuko leave. “Aw, don’t be so cranky. You have to admit that was fun.”

“For you.”

“Yeah, but… you enjoyed it.”

“I certainly did not. The faster that god returns to the Underworld, the happier I’ll be.”

Katara, Goddess of the Southern Sea

Sokka, God of Strategy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, drama? Drama. 
> 
> I got a lot of comments lmao. 
> 
> To start, I want to mention that I have a vague greek inspiration for the different nations (their political ties and vague looks). The Fire Nation is based on (vaguely!) Sparta. The Earth Kingdom is based on numerous mainland cities (Gaoling/Delphi, Omashu/Athens, Ba Sing Se/Literally all of Attica). The Air Temples are the surrounding islands (especially Crete). And, The Water Tribes are Macedonia/Thrace.
> 
> As for the romances, there are other couples I'm gonna work with other than zutara (one is 100% going to surprise you). But... I'm using inspiration from eros/pysche, hades/persephone, apollo/daphne, ares/aphrodite, and the one-side hephaestus/aphrodite just to name a few. 
> 
> Back to the story, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I finally introduce Katara and Sokka and some backstory as well (a backstory that Zuko is oblivious to). Things are really going to spice up once Zuko returns to the Underworld and the main conflict is gonna get rolling. 
> 
> Final comment. Last one, I swear. I really hope you enjoy Katara and Sokka's character designs. I wanted to do a fun (especially since they are "from" Macedonia/Thrace) Alexander the Greatish look on Sokka with a flow and an Amphritite (who was greatly under-appreciated) look for Katara.
> 
> Peace out


	6. Consequence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> History said that she wanted this, but maybe she liked the superiority she gained from his passiveness. Where did this darkness come from? Perhaps it had always been there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :0

VI

Consequence

_ Do you leave the flowers of spring, _

_ The lilies and the rest,  _

_ And plant your little sting _

_ In Heliodora’s breast _

Her voice was music, and grace, and the haunting feeling of knowing that her voice had the power to turn the sourest of beings into the most lovelorn. But, Ty Lee was not special. There were eight other muses of identical faces.

_ To show that in love’s wound _

_ So deep and terrible, _

_ A sweetness may be found, _

_ That makes life bearable? _

This song was much more typical of Ty Lee’s repertoire, syrupy sweet songs of spring and love. Zuko watched from afar as the trio of friends lazed in their fineries. He suspected that this was all that they did in their free time, more like Azula’s free time. He would join, but his presence would ruin the pretty picture they created.

Zuko stood, shadowed and vengeful. He was an image of rage in its foulest clothes. He was ragged and numbed, much like a warrior returning from war. 

“I’ve returned.” Zuko’s voice carried over the distance. 

Ty Lee stopped mid-word. Not even the cheerful Muse could bear singing another note under Zuko’s glowing gaze. 

He had barely returned with his skin intact. His fight with Katara had sucked out whatever strength he had. The bubbling and intoxicating emotion of horror and disgust simmered under his skin at the mere thought of the southern sea goddess. She had made an enemy of him indeed.

“Zuzu, you’re so far away,” Azula commented. She took it upon herself to approach her brother with slow, appraising steps. “My, you don’t look like you’ve fallen in love at all.”

“Quite the opposite.”

Ty Lee turned to Mai. “Ignore Azula.”

Mai, who was watching the scene with intense interest, let out a brief chuckle. “I never listen to her anyway.”

“Boring… You look like death, and you smell like it too.”

Zuko’s eye twitched. “That’s because the southern sea goddess found my existence so offensive that she ordered a sea monster to swallow me whole!”

“No need to yell, I’m right here,” Azula grumbled at his outburst. She circled him, too obvious that she found his position amusing. “Katara is an interesting goddess. You’d expect that the protector of those barbaric people would be barbaric too. I’ve only had the pleasure of her audience only once. I was taken as a challenger. I expect that the same thing happened to you, except that I wasn’t foolish enough to take her on that challenge. It would have caused a riot for me to have injured her.”

“I almost had her!”

Azula smirked. “But, you didn’t. No wonder you couldn’t defeat Father.” Zuko sent her a murderous look. He reached out for her throat, but Azula caught him in time. She said in a low voice, “Just a word of advice. You are as impulsive as the fire you control. That’s what gets you in trouble. Someone as violently emotional as you, well, you’ll find yourself caught up in a whole lot of trouble. There are deities that you love to feed off that instability.”

She pushed him away from her. Zuko rubbed his wrist tentatively, but the anger was still there. “I was met with harshness wherever I went.”

“I tried to warn you.”

Zuko glanced at Mai. She looked so small from over there. 

“Are we evil, Azula?”

It was a strange, silly question. It had the makings to harbor an intense philosophical debate despite its simple wordings. 

“Father says us chthonic gods are not evil but misunderstood.” Azula singly laughed with all the snideness she could conjure. “Evil… Misunderstood… Quite frankly they are the same to me. You don’t get called misunderstood for being good. It’s just a thin lie to hide the truth of our nature. I’d rather be called evil and be done with it.”

Zuko scowled. “Fine. I accept it.”

“You accept it?” Azula said in disbelief. “I’m shocked. Mai? Ty Lee? Are you shocked?” She didn’t give them time to answer, but they were shocked that gallant Zuko would say such a thing. “I’ve never seen you so hung up.”

“Is it so hard to believe? I don’t want any part of those deities up at the surface. They looked down at me!” Zuko recoiled into himself for a moment before mumbling. “Is it true that… Father killed…”

“Father’s killed many,” Azula finished, hardened by the truth. “If someone claimed it, then it’s probably true.”

“Why didn’t anybody tell me!?”

Azula shrugged. “Because you’re soft. Even now, you’re soft. You stopped asking me questions because you assume that I’m a liar.”

“You always lie.”

“Father is a liar.  _ I _ am an opportunist. I lie when I need to, but I don’t lie just for the fun of it. That’s how you get yourself in trouble.” She spared Zuko the lecture. “You’ve changed since going to the surface. I don’t know what happened to you, up there… what Toph and Katara did to you… But, this is the attitude that will get you Father’s favor.”

Zuko gave her the full benefit of his scar. “Things are changing.”

“Faster than you think.”

“I want to be a part of it.”

For some reason, that statement unnerved Azula. She had this screaming feeling that Zuko should not be a part of what was soon to happen. He had heard that Ozai and Lu Ten were talking about. Zuko was too freshly aggrieved to be a part of Ozai’s scheme. It was a fast and messy scheme, one with grand illusions. Zuko just wanted revenge. Yet, Azula held her tongue, a thing she hardly did.

“I’m not the one to allow it.” Azula turned from him to return to Mai and Ty Lee. Zuko and his melodrama… It continues. “She’s not up there waiting for us, you know. It’s best that you know that before digging yourself in too deep. She left for a reason, and we weren’t important enough to stop her.”

* * *

“You’re different now,” Ozai appraised. He sat, slumped posture, in his throne. He looked tired, and not because of lack of sleep. “It’s good. I feel like you understand the world a little better now. What I want is for our kind to return to the surface from whence we came. There are… things there that belong to me.”

Azula eyed Zuko from where she stood. He looked feral, a slave to rage. She knew that Zuko was disgesting the pretty words Ozai was speaking, but Zuko knew the truth of their origin. It’s worse to not know you’re evil and live in ignorance in her opinion. She was doing him a favor… But, this was chilling. 

Lu Ten, who had returned in time for this discussion, spoke up, “Are we going to act or what? I don’t have time to weave around. It’s now or never.” Lu Ten was fidgety, a little unlike him. Everyone at this meeting other than Azula was acting so strangely. 

“I agree,” Ozai muttered. He wasn’t foolish. Ozai saw Zuko’s anger. It burned hot and intense, but only for a brief moment. “To open the crypt, we need the moon goddess and a sea deity. Yue is the obvious candidate, and Katara is the easier target. She’s young and naive.”

“Maybe so… But, she obliterated Zuko,” Azula pointed out. “I knew Katara was always the target, but now that you say that it could be any sea deity—”

“Not any sea deity.” Ozai’s voice hit a gravelly low. “They need to be powerful enough to open the door. It’s either Katara or Pakku.”

Zuko’s eyes narrowed. “It has to be Katara.”

A god possessed. Azula looked to see if Lu Ten was as incensed about all this, but he seemed to be in his own world. Then, he responded through his eyes. Lu Ten gave all indications that he was pleased with this new development. Lust for blood would please Lu Ten. 

Azula wasn’t sure if she liked this change in Zuko. History said that she wanted this, but maybe she liked the superiority she gained from his passiveness. Where did this darkness come from? Perhaps it had always been there. For Zuko to react so strangely about Azula’s opinion on their morality… She shouldn’t be thinking so much about it. 

He was the weak one, the pathetic one. Azula wasn’t sure if she should call him pathetic still. The imbalance of the scales unnerved her. 

Lu Ten, in all his horrifying glory, stated, “I think Zuko should be the one to capture the young sea goddess. Think of it as a rite of passage, per se. I am not the only one to acknowledge Zuko’s growing aggression. My cousin seeks her head, then let’s give it to him.”

“Zuko couldn’t touch a hair on her head,” Azula refuted. 

“I can, and I will!” No one seemed to be taken aback by his tone.

Azula blinked. “I for one  _ love  _ all the aggression, but it’s foolish.”

“Aggression is the best remedy for impassiveness.” Lu Ten’s grin reminded her of the monsters hidden in the darkness of this realm. He was giddy for this. Take it from a war god to want to create chaos. “Without aggression, there is no passion.”

“We don’t need passion.”

“Enough with your squabble!” Ozai pinched between his eyebrows. “I’ve heard enough philosophical debates to last me for the next hundred years. I think Zuko can handle the sea goddess if you do, Lu Ten.”

“I don’t,” Azula advised.

“He didn’t ask you,” Lu Ten reminded her. “Yes. Zuko is ready for the task.”

Zuko didn’t even ask for something in return. For Azula, she was convinced because she was promised complete control of bounds of territory. For Lu Ten, he was promised all the blood he could want. For Zuko… One goddess? He didn’t even seem to think about it.

She needed to know what happened up there.

“You must steal them away in the night,” Ozai ordered.

“When they are strongest?” Azula questioned.

Ozai glared at his daughter, a hateful glare. “It doesn’t matter if they are strongest. The other gods will be asleep. Yue will be bright in the sky, but Katara will be in a peaceful sleep.” By all accounts, it seemed that Yue would be the harder target. But, Yue was not a fighter. “I leave the details to you, but Lu Ten and Azula will steal Yue, and Zuko will capture Katara.”

“I find it to be completely unnecessary for both Lu Ten and me to capture Yue. It would make more sense for me to join Zuko, especially with his tendencies for failure. He’s—He’s compromised! Captivated by his own anger! What’s there to stop him from shying away!?”

Zuko held his tongue, but his father did not.

“How dare you question me! My order is final! If Zuko fails—If either of you fails, there is not a home for you here! Question me again, and you’ll suffer the fate of a dishonorable child!”

Azula was a master at holding her emotions. Her father had never yelled at her in such a way. So be it. If he didn’t care about his mission’s completion, then she didn’t either. She was used to the perfectly calculated operations against deities of the surface. Azula had done everything without question and with complete enjoyment. What changed?

“Azula and I will hide with Agni until dusk.” Lu Ten swooped in with a plan in tow. “Once Yue makes her appearance, we will wait in the sky until every deity is asleep. Yue will not see us coming if we are at the same altitude.”

“Excellent,” Ozai had recovered quickly from his outburst and returned to his numb position. “And, Zuko… what is your plan?”

“I’ll get it done.”

Azula smirked. She was right. Again…

“I admit. I’m disappointed.”

“I’ll get it done.”

* * *

“You cannot go through with this!” Azula screeched, following Zuko down the hallway they knew so well. She knew where he was going, and it wouldn’t work.

“I can, and I will!” It seemed to be his trademark of late.

“I won’t let you!”

Zuko stopped, towering over her like a monster. “I don’t take orders from you. You just want the glory to yourself.” He turned and rushed back to where he was going.

“I never thought Father would actually listen to your pathetic little plea.” She was chasing him again. “Aren’t you supposed to be continuing the family lineage? Although, I have no idea why your blood is worth continuing.”

“I’m ignoring you! I wish that you would just close your mouth, but you insist on continuously insulting me. What will you do when I come back with that insufferable sea goddess?”

“I would pinch myself because the only way that would happen was if it was in a dream!”

Ty Lee strummed away at her kithara, a sad tune only accented with her barren, wordless vocals. Her song was a little out of place for the arguing siblings. 

Azula reached out to grab Zuko by the wrist, but he yanked himself out of her grip. Her immaculate nails scraped against his skin. 

“Mai!” Zuko called out. “I need you. Now.”

Mai, who was lounging with Ty Lee, raised a brow. Ty Lee even stopped playing her tune just to watch what was about to go down. 

“Ignore him!” Azula was rushing up to him, a rare sight. 

Mai’s lips twitched at his humorous position. “Aren’t you demanding? Normally, you’d wait until we’re alone. It’s a little embarrassing to be that kind of stuff in public.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Zuko growled. Whatever humor was on her face drained. “I need potions. You can make them. That’s all I need from you.”

Mai’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Even Ty Lee looked nervous. “All you need from me…”

“Yes! I need a potion that will get me into Katara’s realm undetected. I need another that will make it easy for me to capture her.” Zuko started pacing. “I won’t risk another altercation with her. Who will be laughing then once she wakes up in the Underworld? Ha! I bet—I bet Toph and Aang would be so shocked to hear that the god they mocked—”

“So, that’s what happened?” Ty Lee questioned. “They embarrassed you? That’s why you’re losing it?”

“No! It’s more than that!”

Zuko wasn’t just embarrassed. No. They treated him like a villain. They treated him like the monster he looked like. It gashed into all his insecurities and exploited them. Pride had much to do with it, but the whole experience reminded him of the hateful being that he was. 

He was hateful. That was all Zuko could ever be.

“I don’t know what you expected,” said Mai. “It seems that you’ve become…”

“I need those potions now!”

Azula chuckled. “What makes you think Mai is going to help you?”

“What makes you think I’m going to help you? I want no part in this scheme of Lord Ozai’s. I’m neutral in this, so leave me out of it.” There was enough bite in her words to send Zuko off the edge. Did that many people not believe in him?

“I am the Prince of this realm! I order you to! I demand it!”

The silence after was painful. Mai looked as if Zuko had struck her physically. He had a knack for losing allies, and he had just done it again. It was almost as if Zuko could see the dainty relationship they had crumbled like an old house in an earthquake. He went for the jugular, the one thing that Mai hated. Mai hated that violent temper. 

Ty Lee glanced from the two of them, hands out in a mediating pose. No tune could save this moment. “Now, wait a moment…”

“No,” Mai told Ty Lee. “If Zuko wants these potions from me, then so be it. It’s obvious that he cares more about his petty grudges than treating me with respect. Fine, take them.” She snapped her fingers and the vials were in Zuko’s hands. “I keep myself stocked. The blue will keep you hidden… for the most part. It won’t hide you from plain sight, but it will keep you quiet.” Zuko didn’t like her tone. It wasn’t all that different, but he knew she was hurt. Pride kept him from apologizing. “The clear will temporarily paralyze. One drop on her lips will do the trick.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m never doing this for you again.”

“I didn’t think you would.”

“I hope it’s worth it.”

Mai was gone in a puff of shadows.

Azula let out a long whistle. “Zuzu… you screwed that up.”

He stared at the vials. The rage was still there except it was directed somewhere else. “So what? Are you going to laugh?”

“No, but I’ll say I told you so. That temper is going to hurt someone, and it hurt Mai.”

“She’ll come around,” Ty Lee tried to explain.

“Don’t lie to Zuzu. We all know Mai holds grudges stronger than Zuzu.”

Zuko sighed, just a little sobered. He didn’t have time for this. Fine… He’s a jerk. Did she expect anything else? It was the last straw he supposed in a long series of mess-ups. Who knew if Mai was done with him? If she wasn’t then she’d show up at his bed, and he’d apologize. 

There were other things to worry about. 

...Like capturing Katara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama on drama. Next two chapters are gonna be action-packed so I hope you're ready!
> 
> This entire chapter is about Zuko struggling with his conflicting emotions and allowing himself to drown for a little bit. Don't you think that would make him vulnerable to idk...? You'll have to see... This chapter is also a giant side-eye from Azula. She's kind of like "dude wat? you're being stupid."
> 
> I'd love to hear comments on this chapter! You're gonna get some Lu Ten and Azula action next time.
> 
> Peace out


	7. Nefarious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were so many stories that circulated around the moon goddess. Even Azula’s mother used to tell Azula bedtime stories about Yue as if she was a mythic being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :-/
> 
> If you'd like some mood music, I gotchu. It's called Ancient Dance by the Petros Tabouris Ensemble. It's just me being a nerd. If you are interested in me making more recommendations, I totally can. I usually write with mood music, so it's no issue.

VII

Nefarious

Hiding in the sun was not as pleasant as it sounds. Agni, the god of the sun, was a placid god despite the stories of his ruthlessness. He asked no questions when Lu Ten and Azula arrived with Ran and Shaw in tow. Instead, he wished for conversation. No one ever went to visit the sun god, and if they did, they stayed shortly due to his brightness. 

No one knew what the sun god looked like because staring at him was asking to be blinded. Instead, Azula and Lu Ten hid in his domain, eyes closed and ears open. 

Agni had a gentle voice. It could have belonged to a dove. In Azula’s opinion, it was embarrassing for the Fire Nation to regard this god so highly. He was old, very old. Sure, he had the elemental might to back up his claim to the sun, but he had no strength. Where was the ambition? Agni seemed to be pleased by his boring job. 

It would be unwise to discount Agni, though. He was a fearsome foe back in the olden days. Azula would never make an enemy of Agni. She would be torched alive. 

Then again, he was just another god who wished for the glory days. 

Azula humored him. “Lord Agni, is it true that you see everything?”

“My daylight is all-knowing, yes. Once, I saw the most heinous act of adultery—”

“I’ve heard this one before,” Lu Ten snapped. He had been on edge ever since they arrived in Agni’s domain. “You exposed them, and all the gods laughed. It’s a riveting story…”

“Yes, they were brought to justice.” Agni and his judgment…

Lu Ten, eyes closed and arms crossed, scoffed. Agni’s power was waning as he fell into the horizon. “Yet, they continued to meet in secret or not for the rest of eternity. Now, how did your intervention fix anything? Don’t tell me it was for morality.”

Azula smirked at his intolerance of Agni. “Lu Ten, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were insulting Lord Agni. He is deserving of our respect.”

She had been attempting to charm the old god the entirety of their stakeout. Azula may be impish and fiendish, but the goddess of death was above all, charming. How does one think she got to where she is? Raw power was important to Azula, of course, but her ability to beguile was a sight to behold. The more allies the better. 

Lu Ten, on the other hand, had no interest in bewitching other gods with his words. Lu Ten could tear Ozai in half with his bare hands if he wanted to. The god was a brute, and the other gods knew it. He could say whatever he wanted. It didn’t matter because one wrong word and a jaw would find itself away from its head. 

“I must ask,” Agni started. The heat of his power prickled the bare skin on Azula’s shoulders. “Just one question for the god of war. One, and I’ll leave you to do whatever it is you plan to do.” He seemed to have Lu Ten’s attention. “When does the bloodshed stop?”

He took no time to think and stood up with purpose. “It doesn’t. Come, Cousin. It seems the old god is getting testy as he touches the surface.” He opened his eyes decisively only to see the faint orange glow of a setting sun god. “You have no power at this time of the day. I’d rather leave now before we get trapped with him.”

* * *

Azula didn’t ask. She was well informed enough to understand what Agni was getting at. Gods of war are not eternal. No soul, mortal or immortal, can withstand a life of brutality with a sane mind. 

Lu Ten was sane enough for a war god, but for how long? Iroh, the Elder God of War, had bouts of murderous rage before Lu Ten beat him in a battle for the title. It was horrifying to a young goddess in her first years. 

Something always gets in the way.

“There she is,” Azula mused, hair dancing in the cool night’s breeze. Yue was in sight, ignorant of the two deities and their plan to steal her away. She glanced down from the cloud they were hiding in. “The view from up here almost convinced me that the surface is more beautiful than the Caldera. I wonder how many mortals are under my pinky figure.”

“We aren’t here to talk about mortals, Azula.” Lu Ten watched the sky with hawk-like interest. Azula was a perfectionist, but Lu Ten took it to another level. The god was famous for his uncontrolled terror, but in order to lose control, you must have it first. His pupils were already dilated in the excitement of the moment. 

“Yue isn’t going anywhere.”

“I think we should make our move.”

“Of course you do.”

In the dead of night, even the most controlled whispers seemed loud. Lucky for them, they were so high in the sky that no one could place it on them. No one would hear. 

Azula wondered how Yue lived up here. So quiet… So eerily quiet… Azula would be kidding herself if she claimed to want this life. Servants couldn’t live on the moon. No cherries. No pomegranates. Just Yue and the moon. 

“Everyone should be asleep. If they aren’t, they won’t be concerned with the moon. We don’t want to return to the Underworld after Zuko.”

“You put too much faith in him,” Azula grunted, preening her nails. “My brother is explosive. He flares up fast and simmers down fast. It is against his nature to go through with it. He’s too much like Mother… Sentimental.”

“You never fail to impress me with your colorful rejection of your brother. I saw the driven intent on his face. He’ll capture Katara. No doubt.”

Azula sighed heavily. “I would have rather done it myself than be here with you.”

Lu Ten let out a short laugh. “Your eagerness is commendable, but I think it is important to let Zuko test out his capabilities. You’ve already proven yourself ten times over. Zuko… well.”

He was Iroh’s son after all. Under all that obsession with war, Lu Ten had the same nurturing sentiment as her foolish uncle.

“What do you think will happen to the moon once we take Yue?”

“Does it matter?”

“Whatever. Didn’t you want to ‘make your move?’”

She couldn’t make out his face with that large helm, but Azula knew Lu Ten was smiling. He didn’t even respond. Instead, he and Ran jostled towards Yue. He certainly seemed a little too excited for this. After a blink, Azula followed. 

Yue’s celestial realm was breathtaking. Cold, but breathtaking. Too bad they were there for nefarious reasons. Yue didn’t notice them at first as planned. She only noticed them when the dragon’s giant bodies landed in a cloud of moondust. 

Azula had never had the pleasure of meeting Yue face to face. Why would she?

There were so many stories that circulated around the moon goddess. Even Azula’s mother used to tell Azula bedtime stories about Yue as if she was a mythic being. 

Where were the two snow-white horses? Azula thought this was a chariot. 

Yue was like Agni, distant and removed from the other gods. She was only admired from afar, but Azula suspected that she was more popular than her solar counterpart. For one thing, she was bright but not too bright. It was more of a glow. One could actually see her. Another thing, she was a feminine being. She must have been privy to many romantic gazes. 

Lu Ten marched forward with total confidence. The war god showed no hint that anything strange was happening. 

“Azula, Goddess of the Dead. Lu Ten, God of War. I haven’t had visitors in quite a while.” Yue’s voice was gentle. 

She was the image of divinity. Azula would have imagined Yue in her dreams, but she was right in front of her. Dressed in milky-white pearls and twinkling specks of dust, Yue graced the sky with pure beauty. Her eyes seemed to hold all the stars in the sky. If Azula wasn’t so hardened, she might have been staggered by Yue. 

The pair stood quietly. Azula stood, smirking at the moon goddess. Lu Ten, on the other hand, was unreadable. The stillness of the air seemed to suck even the sound of their footfalls into the nothingness of the moon.

A nervous glance flickered from Yue’s starry-eyes. She perhaps got an inkling that something was up. “I… Is there something I can help you with?” More silence. Her eyebrows furrowed. “Is there something that you need?”

Azula smiled, showing her sparkling teeth. “You.”

“P-Pardon?”

Her outward surprise did not mirror her readiness to protect herself. Azula did not assume that Yue would be easy to take down. 

Lu Ten summoned the God-Slayer and hurled it at Yue’s chest. It would have hit if she hadn’t conjured an invisible wall. That must have been her power. 

He lodged the spearhead in the wall again, only for it to be in vain. Yue looked comfortable for a moment. 

“Back up.”

Lu Ten barely made it out of the way before a bolt of lightning coming from Azula’s fingers crackled into the wall, bursting it open with a display of sparks. Lu Ten and Yue were pushed backward by the force of the explosion. 

Azula was not bothered by the blast in her face. “That felt good.”

Yue was fast on her escape. She summoned a horse made of snow. That's where the legend comes from. A snow-white horse… because it was made of snow. She almost laughed. Azula was glad that was cleared up. 

The horse was fast. Lu Ten chased after her on foot but the god had his limits. Azula sighed. At this rate, Azula would be the only one doing anything here. She might be the fierce Mistress of the Underworld, but Azula was a talented fighter. Mortals shouldn’t forget that.

With precision, Azula threw a tense ball of blue fire at the escaping moon goddess. It collided with the snow horse’s breast, causing the poor creature to melt away and cripple into the ground. 

Yue hit the ground with a puff of moondust and skid across the ridges painfully. She didn’t let that small hiccup stop her from continuing her escape. 

Where would she even go? It was already a lost cause for her. Lu Ten was hot on her heels. 

Lu Ten’s hands were around Yue’s waist. Her fingers dug into the crevices, her nails scraping against the rock. In a last-ditch effort, Yue pelted his face with snow but it slid off effortlessly. 

He had her wrists. Lu Ten slowly leaned down, the cold metal of his helm pressed against her cheek. Yue sucked a hissed breath as Lu Ten’s teeth brushed her ear. “A little snow can’t stop me,” he whispered. His teeth clamped down on her ear for a brief moment.

“What do you want from me?” She said in a little voice. It took everything for Yue to sound unaffected. She was mad that it came out so weak, but the situation was too much for her. Never in her life had she been handled like this. 

Lu Ten’s breath, hot in her ear, gave her the chills. He lingered for a moment too long. She struggled only to be crushed on the ground. “It’s a surprise.”

She didn’t like that tone.

Lu Ten scooped her up in her arms, and Yue struggled violently. Arms flailing and legs kicking, every attack was met with no reaction. He could launch at her, tearing her apart without any care of a gentleman. It seemed that he was enjoying himself a little too much. He could do a lot of things. 

She got a little air between them, but Lu Ten took the opportunity to tighten his grip. His fingers dug into her skin ferociously like he was soaking it up. The war god’s grip was bruising. She let out a noise of panic. Lu Ten smirked as she tried to wiggle her way out. 

“Stop, Lady Yue.”

“Don’t call me that!”

Lu Ten’s fingers squeezed tighter on her ribs and thigh. “Then what should I call you, my Lady?”

“Let me go!”

“You’re mine.”

“No!”

Azula, who watched with strained interest, found Lu Ten’s interest…. Interesting. Maybe it was Lu Ten that she should have been worried about. He possessively held her like a boy held his toy. She wasn’t sure if he even remembered that Azula was there. 

“You’re. Mine.”

“Lu Ten,” Azula interrupted. “I hate to spoil your fun, but we shouldn’t linger for too long.”

“Nonsense,” he remarked. He turned to Yue and brushed a lock of her silky hair. “No one can hear you scream up here.”

Yue burst into frustrated tears, flailing even more aggressively than before. Her hand pushed his face away, trying to get as far away from Lu Ten as possible. He gazed back at her, a sick enthrallment than only the god of war could have. She was tired. It was over for her. Yue was his prey.

“Help me!” Yue sobbed out. “Please!” 

It took Azula a moment to realize that Yue was screaming at her. A foolish attempt, but the only chance she had left. What made Yue think that she could tug on Azula’s heart with some tears and blood-curdling screams?

“Please! I-I’m scared! I’ll do anything! Just help me! I don’t want to go with him!”

“You forgot that Lu Ten came here with me. We’re in this together,” Azula informed her with a calm voice. 

“No!” she cried out. Her cries were loud. It was more than crying, it was the kind of desolate sobbing that comes from a person drained of all hope. Yue gave up. She knew it was true that no one was there to save her. It was annoying that she was still beautiful when she cried. 

“Don’t cry,” Lu Ten humored. “You’ll like it with us. I doubt we’ll need you long unless you want to stay with me.”

That made her cry harder.

She was a pathetic sight as they approached the dragons, sobbing uncontrollably in Lu Ten’s bulging grip. Azula’s lip twitched, and she averted her gaze from the moon goddess. She thought that maybe she should say something consoling since they were about to take her to the Caldera. “Lu Ten, shut her up. Her sobs are giving me a headache.”

Agni, God of the Sun

Yue, Goddess of the Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie Dokie... 
> 
> I was gonna be a little rougher, but I didn't have the guts for it. I guess I'm a wimp, but that doesn't mean I'm a super wimp. I had to cut out some stuff because I freaked myself out. If you want a visual, I'd check out Ratto di Proserpina by Bernini. Not only was this chapter meant to be dramatic and feral, but it was briefly inspired by Persephone's abduction as well as other things. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! I'd love to hear reactions! Next up: We've gonna see what Zuko's up to. 
> 
> Peace


	8. Ache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A branding iron? That was the best way to describe it. Whatever invisible thing caused the pain near Zuko’s shoulder blade was lingering and painful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)
> 
> Song suggestion: Kodones by Petros Tabouris Ensemble

VIII

Ache

Vinegar. Mai’s potions taste like cheap vinegar. Zuko supposed that was the price to pay for magic, yet why did it have to be vinegar? The taste alone could have killed a small nymph. Druk, who literally feasted on the souls of the damned, didn’t seem to like it either. That was very telling. 

But, it was working. Zuko felt his very being lighten as if he weighed half of what he used to. It tasted like vinegar, but it made him nearly detectable. Thick snowflakes pelted Zuko in the face, but some passed through him completely.

Mai works in mysterious ways. 

Zuko and Druk flew into the polar vortex with no fear. There was no point in being scared. Katara was the one who should be scared.

In the blizzard, they flew straight. It was the only way to reach the island at its core. A nifty trick... It keeps the sailors away. If she was anything like the Chthonic Gods, which Zuko didn’t know at all, then Katara did a good job keeping those pesky mortals from her realm. 

As the snowflakes ripped through Zuko’s body, they chilled him at his core. They could never freeze his inner fire, but they certainly could chill his insides. 

He wanted to scream out ‘how much longer’ as if Druk knew the answer. The poor guardian of the Underworld was tired from his trek. It would only be made worse by their quick escape with Katara in tow. 

Zuko raised a glowing hand to shield himself from the dangerous shards of ice, but the snow immediately disappeared once they broke through the wall. 

Katara’s realm… he was back too soon…

A soft panic set itself in Zuko as they flew over the temple. Could he do this? His very life depended on it. She humiliated him. Katara deserved whatever was coming for her in the Caldera. Breathing really slow wasn’t exactly helping the fire god. That’s what his mother told him to do when he would freak out or lose control of his power as a child. Breathe slow and find your center. That wasn’t helping.

Zuko missed her.

They landed on the sand this time, just in time for the tide to ebb away. Druk rested his wings in the growing foam. Zuko reached out to gently stroke his nose. Druk has been so helpful. 

The moon was huge in the sky of Katara’s realm. Katara must have been one of the trio of lunar goddesses. The thought didn’t occur to him until then. Few gods grew in power under Yue’s light, and there were even fewer goddesses. That’s what made them so special. 

Now what?

Zuko found himself in the belly of the beast and he didn’t even realize it until then. Katara was a  _ lunar goddess _ . What if she was still awake? This could be a trap, a set-up. All just to prove that Zuko was a weak god. They sent Zuko it at Katara’s most powerful hour. This was… bad. Azula would do it to sabotage him, but Ozai? It was his plan. Why would he jeopardize it? That must mean that he really does have faith in Zuko…

With arms folded tightly across his broad chest, he tapped his foot furiously and all the while stared out to the coral temple. If he was a sea goddess, where would he sleep?

The gentle sea breeze stuck to Zuko’s hair as he stalked towards the temple. The thin ocean grass tickled his ankles and thighs, depositing their dew on his clothes. There was still a little voice in his head that told him to play it safe despite the magic he was under. At the slightest noise, Zuko would fall back on his heels. It was just little creatures… And, the occasional mistake on his part. 

Stealth was never Zuko’s strong suit. He had no practice. He was more flashy than anything. The last time Zuko tried to be sneaky, he was caught. The adrenaline of the moment was catching up to him. Zuko’s muscles clenched in the excitement by just thinking about his position right then. 

Inside the temple, Zuko was disappointed. No Katara in sight. Instead, a mass of sea creatures and nymphs, her court, slept soundly. They were protecting treasures in the cella. Zuko tip-toed around the snoozing creatures, cautious enough to step over the loose shells on the floor. 

She had a lot of knick-knacks. The Water Tribe items that Zuko was unfamiliar with shifted in the breeze. These were… family heirlooms it looked like. They seemed to be incredibly personal, but Katara couldn’t have had such a large family. 

He danced around the sleeping creatures, seeing a small port to exit from. They were so sound in their slumber that Zuko guessed he could throw a shell and no one would notice. 

Zuko made his exit from the temple. If Katara wasn’t there, then… Ah, that had to be it. 

It could only be described as a small palace. Hardly a palace. It couldn’t hold a candle to the House of the Dead. Azula would have found it to be an insult to the power of deities. Zuko hadn’t even noticed it. It made sense… Zuko would have never noticed it before because it blended into its surroundings. Foolish. He was wasting time. It was so obviously Katara’s dwelling. 

The thin white veils drifting in the wind invited him. It was the second floor, so exposed and open to the moon. Zuko was practically jogging to the palace.

Zuko was quick to get to the small palace. There was no telling what was on the first floor of the palace, so Zuko scurried up the rugged wall. There wasn’t much grip for his feet as he kicked the coral walls as he dangled on the ledge.

“Who’s there?”

He stopped. 

Footsteps underneath him crunched against the loose sand. They sounded heavy but very tired. A light sleeper, no doubt. 

Zuko braved a glance down. It was Sokka, tired as expected but readied with his spear. He craned his neck around, searching for the culprit. Zuko swallowed his breath. Sokka was right under him. His breath came in small spurts, hot and nervous. The ledge was as wide as a single foot and with all the grip of one hundred tiny daggers in his palms.

Sokka slowly curved his neck upwards. His eyes lingered on Zuko’s form, huffing dangerously as the pain started to seep from his palms to his wrists. Sokka’s face changed.

Did Sokka… see him?

“Yue, I’m going crazy aren’t I?”

He didn’t… He didn’t!

Thank you, Mai!

Sokka was staring at him, or at least it seemed like it. Instead, he was staring at the moon behind him. 

Sokka sighed heavily and slowly found his way back into the palace. Good to know. Zuko would need to be quick and quiet when taking Katara back to Druk. 

Gracefully, Zuko pulled himself from the ledge and into the chambers. 

He threaded through the veil, soft against his skin. He was careful not to burn the delicate material. The air around him shifted. Not physically, but Zuko’s heart racketed so much that it felt like that. 

Katara’s chambers were illuminated by the full moon. He wondered if Azula and Lu Ten were close to taking Yue. What would happen?

Zuko found himself eyeing her chambers. More trinkets, but they were smaller… more like offerings and gifts. She kept all of them, but they were lined up nicely and kept clean with care. There were a lot of keepsakes and scrolls with art. Katara was a collector. 

Speaking of which…

Katara looked so peaceful when asleep. Zuko hovered over her, not exactly sure when he carried himself to the columns that surrounded her bedside. Here he was. He was so close to completing his mission. Zuko held the vial, ready to drop just a little bit of the potion on her lips. If his potion tasted bad, he couldn’t imagine how foul the potion made for Katara would be.

Zuko found his eyes lingering on her lips, slightly parted as a soft snore passed through her lips. Just watching her reminded himself that he himself was quite tired as well. How could someone so aggressive sleep so… tranquil, so… serene.

Just pour the potion on her lips. Katara won’t be able to move. Maybe she won’t even wake up. 

The longer he stared at Katara, the weaker his resolve felt. He was going to do it. He was. 

Katara’s chest rose and fell with each breath. How could she sleep like that? She slept sprawled out, arms and legs in a tangled mess of sheets and skin. The image of Katara that Zuko had created in his head after their first meeting was so different from the real one in front of him. There was no way she was the monster he had imagined, but that didn’t matter. 

Poor thing.

A slow smile spread on his face as he tilted the vial over her lips.

Sorry, Katara.

A sharp, burning pain spread across his back like his body was a torch. Zuko almost crushed the glass in his hand in shock. The pain has an unpleasant warmth to it, eating at Zuko’s stomach. There's nausea too, just enough to make him hold onto the near pillar for support and breathe slow. Zuko knew what a burn felt like, and it felt like a burn but there was no fire… no smell. 

A branding iron? That was the best way to describe it. Whatever invisible thing caused the pain near Zuko’s shoulder blade was lingering and painful. All Zuko could do was writhe and claw at the hidden assailant. 

The pain traveled from his back to his chest, centering itself above his heart in waves. He nearly collapsed into himself, but then Zuko stared at Katara.

Had Zuko never noticed how completely and utterly spellbinding Katara was?

A single tear spilled from Zuko’s scarred eye and all the pain from the hidden assailant turned into a soothing pulse in his stomach. Had his heart been pounding so hard before? The feeling is strange, completely unknown. It started at the pooling in his stomach and surged in his blood. He couldn’t help the insane smile that tugged on his cheeks, the muscles tired from little use. 

This is horrifying. 

Zuko felt himself becoming whole again. The ghostly feel the potion gave him was gone. 

Every little detail of Katara’s being became so acute and important. No freckle or dimple would go unnoticed. Zuko knew that his eyes were on the most beautiful goddess in the world. He didn’t care about what curses came his way. Katara was it. Katara was the sweetest melody, the brightest sunrise, the clearest waterfall. All that angry energy had turned around and feasted on his circumstance. 

Was her skin as soft as it looked?

Why was he here again?

Katara was the divine and he would worship her.

A little voice in the back of his head reminding him that he was here to kidnap Katara, not lust after her. That little voice would be silenced. Zuko was allowed to stare at her for a few moments before taking her away.  _ He could take her away! _

Zuko could, and Katara would be with him!

The throbbing in his chest ached, but it felt so good. Oh, it felt so good. If time could stop right now, Zuko could live in eternal bliss. 

His hands were shaking. A man possessed, it was nearly impossible to get himself to raise the potion to her lips. The clear liquid trembled in his bewitched state. Katara was so close, but maybe Zuko was leaning in on his own accord. 

The skin on Katara’s jaw was oh so tempting. He raised a finger, just one finger, to touch it. He was acting like Katara was like one of the statues displayed around her chambers, but he had to be careful or she would wake. Goosebumps. Zuko remembered why he was there. The potion, still locked at his side, suddenly felt very heavy at his side.

_ You are Zuko, the god of fire and Prince of the Underworld. She is Katara, beautiful but a block in his father’s plan.  _

With a heavy inhale, Zuko brought the potion to her lips. This is the right thing to do. 

And then it got dark.

Zuko flew back on his heels as Katara woke with a panicked start. Katara was too busy hyperventilating to see Zuko. He took a glance to see what had her so horrified.

Azula and Lu Ten succeeded.

The vial slipped from his fingers and shattered.

The moon was gone.

“What are you doing here?!”

Katara was shocked, frightened, and every word in between. Her eyes glowed in the darkness, swallowing Zuko whole. He didn’t think that he could forget that face. She glowered, hands clutching the edge of her blanket.

Before she had the time to drown him in the ocean, Zuko reached out and ripped the necklace from her neck. Zuko didn’t know why he did it as he jumped from her balcony. Whatever had struck him forced him to do it. He needed something… He wanted her, but he settled for her necklace. It was heavier than expected and still warm from her neck.

Why did he do that?

“Druk, we have to run!” 

The ocean started to swirl with rage. Tendrils started to whirl and snap unto Druk’s legs. The dragon struggled against the water before breaking free with a violent flap of wings. 

Zuko jumped onto the dragon's neck as he flew away. A giant whirlpool erupted from the sea and gripped Druk’s tail, causing him to fly stagnantly. Zuko snapped them free with a large fire whip.

Zuko was free. For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever seen a woman so beautiful that you cried?
> 
> There are very few spoken words in this chapter. It is almost a dreamlike sequence. You're probably like 'What the hell just happened?' You'll find out in time. There is a parallel and contrast between Zuko and Azula/Lu Ten's kidnapping missions. One takes inspo from Hades and the other takes inspo from Eros. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'd love to hear comments and guesses on wtf just happened. I won't confirm nor deny anything though. 
> 
> Peace out


	9. Solitary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, what? You can’t kill me. This has nothing to do with mortals. Are you here just to rub it in my face? Zuko, the god of fire… A failure. A crude mistake brought from his father’s blood. Hm? Is that why you’re here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :|

IX

Solitary

“Yue, goddess of the moon. She is brought to you unharmed and untouched, Father.”

Ozai stared at the moon goddess as if she was a foreign creature. In this respect, she was. Void the ethereal glow that bathed her in her realm, Yue looked small. She looked very much like the damsel that she was made into. It wasn’t her fault. Lu Ten’s coarseness was enough to stagger the most hideous of creatures. 

“You’ve done well, my daughter. And, you too, Nephew.” His rings flickered in the candle-light. “Lady Yue is here and well, but Katara, or I suppose Lady Katara, is not. Zuko has betrayed me.”

“We should not speak of Zuko’s supposed betrayal, Lord Uncle.” Lu Ten, like the towering being that he was, seemed to steal away all the air in the room. The feral god was not so much feral anymore as he was on the moon as he was then. Azula had never seen such a thing. It made her lucky that it was not she who was in Yue’s place. “Instead, let us focus our attention on Yue.”

Yue was comfortable for a prisoner. She was given a large chamber for her pleasure and four fearsome guards in skull masks, a mark of the departed. With all that space, Yue still cowered in the corner, large doe-eyes and frost staining the walls around her like a warning. Don’t come any closer. 

“Lady Yue will come around. I fear that she will need some time to… become accustomed to my ward.” Ozai took a step towards Yue only for the goddess to flinch.

Azula scowled. “How pathetic.”

“I don’t agree,” Lu Ten argued. “Yue put up a good fight.”

“Only because you like the chase.”

Lu Ten laughed, but Ozai did not seem to find it as amusing. “Azula, I will task you with convincing Lady Yue to oblige to opening the crypt. It is critical that you do so. It must be of her own will.”

“What does she need to do?”

“Just touch it. It’s as simple as that. Without Katara… It’s incomplete. I will retire and research if it can be done with just the moon goddess. Just because there is a tradition, does not mean there aren’t other ways.”

Before Ozai could leave, Lu Ten stopped him. “Give her to me.”

“I’m afraid I’m confused.”

“Don't,” Azula advised. “I can do this. I don’t need Lu Ten interfering. He can’t do this as well as I can. And, I’d like to remind everyone that I was right about Zuko messing up. I tend to be right, Father.”

“Zuko cost us dearly,” her father remarked. “Just thinking about his transgressions fills me with disgust for _my own_ blood.”

“What will you do about him?”

“He’s banished. I won’t open the doors for a son like him.”

Hearing those words didn’t spark joy in Azula as she had hoped. Instead, she swallowed those feelings of minor regret and allowed a haughty smile to pull on her rouged lips. Zuko did that to himself. She tried to warn the idiot.

“Zuzu is a glutton for punishment it seems.”

“I am not Zuko,” Lu Ten reminded them. I am a god of war. I was able to defeat my father. Your lack of confidence is insulting. Give me Yue. I will treat her with respect. You have my word. Not a hair on her head will be touched.”

“Then you have my permission.”

“Father!”

“Quiet! My word is final!” He took a calming breath after drawing all attention on himself, including Yue’s glaze. “You will deal with Lady Katara, but not until I say so. I don’t know what happened, but Jin brought me a letter from Lady Katara with utter rage at the situation. She asks for Zuko and everything he stole so that she can deal with him accordingly. Unfortunately for her, Zuko is no longer a resident here. You must let her cool off. She will be wary of any visitors of our sort.”

“I’m not concerned about Katara. I’m concerned about Zuko. He knows too much.”

“So, what? Are you going to kill him?”

“It depends on what you order.”

* * *

It was Zuko’s fourth try at blowing the door down that convinced him that he would stay on one side and they would stay on the other. 

His fingers clutched to the charred rock of the door, holding on to whatever memories he could. He knew what this meant. Zuko was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a fool.

Ozai was his judge and jury, and the defendant wasn’t even there to defend himself. It wasn’t his fault. It was… It was… Zuko didn’t quite understand what had happened. One moment he was about to pour the potion on Katara’s lips, the next, he was fawning over her like she was loveliness itself. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Zuko was supposed to return a hero. Now, he returned a banished god. 

...A banished god sobered off the butterflies in his stomach. 

So, this was banishment. At least he wasn’t alone. There was poor Druk, who was probably starving. 

He couldn’t stay here like a dog with a cruel master. It was depressing. 

Zuko was not a fortunate god. He had never been one to believe otherwise, but eternity was a long time. Perhaps, that was the opportunity to change his luck. He would be loved by his father, respected by his sister. Lamenting what could have been drains the soul. But… Damn it, he was so close. Zuko was so close and it had to be ripped out of his hands. 

This was not what he meant when he said he wanted to explore the surface world. 

Zuko used to be so full of life and hope. He wished dearly for it to come back, but it never would. It was permanent like the scar on his face. He was blemished. And, now he was sentenced to a life of true solitude. He couldn’t even get a tear out at that realization. 

There was no Lu Ten. There was no Ty Lee. There was no Mai. There was no Azula. And, there was no Ozai.

Zuko was alone.

“And, what will you do about it?”

Zuko turned from the etched stone doors to see an elderly lady cloaked in black. 

“I beg your pardon?”

“You have caused a great grievance,” the lady warned. Upon greater inspection, Zuko knew exactly who this lady was. One glance to her shears was all it took. Why she came to him was beyond understanding, but perhaps her arrival meant something could change. “You have done the forbidden. You, God of Fire, have tampered with the sacred threads of the many.”

“I thought you always traveled with your sisters.”

The lady’s pouted lips tightened. “I, the Unturnable, have come to warn you, God of Fire.”

“I was led to believe that the Fates only tamper with the lives of the mortals, Wu. Since I am not mortal, I’m confused about why you come to me. I’m not in a good mood right now.”

Wu’s gaze was unnerving. One eye cloudy-white while the other just an empty socket, it seemed that her sisters only allotted one eye of seeing for this trip. Zuko knew what she was. Wu was death. She was the entity that cut the lifespan of the mortals when their time was up. Feared and revered, Wu was not one to take lightly.

“You were supposed to capture the goddess of the southern sea.”

“You’re not the only one who wished that happened. Why would you wish for such a thing anyway? Do the Fates dislike Katara?”

“No, you misunderstand the gravity of the situation. The Fates are neutral in godly affairs. You went against your fate, and that is a crime that I cannot be silenced about.”

“So, what? You can’t kill me. This has nothing to do with mortals. Are you here just to rub it in my face? Zuko, the god of fire… A failure. A crude mistake brought from his father’s blood. Hm? Is that why you’re here?”

Wu coldly stood. “Despair blinds you.”

“Despair blinds me? Despair blinds me?! Do not mock me! My eyes are wide open, Unturnable one!”

The sister of the Fates gazed upon Zuko with decisive judgment. Just a cold face within a sea of black cloak, Wu was merely a fortune waiting to be told. “The god of the dead’s plans were to go smoothly, but you changed that. You see, it has been many years since one has defied the thread of destiny. And, a god at that. It is… peculiar.” Wu, who stood completely still the entire time, finally moved towards Zuko in a cloud of black. “Your change to the future has potentially cost me numerous mortal souls.”

“I don’t understand. My father wasn’t going to hurt mortals. He just was going to take control of what belongs to us. It is about respect. And—And, I didn’t change anything! I was possessed! Something was stopping me from completing my mission!”

Things were changing too quickly. After narrowly making it out of Katara’s abode and narrowly escaping the rage of the sea underneath him, Zuko just wanted something normal. A Fate showing up to inform him of his deeds was not normal. He couldn’t tell if she was chiding or applauding. 

“Someone.”

Zuko’s fingers found the soft silk of Katara’s necklace which he had tied around his wrist like a prize. She would come for him, or maybe she wouldn’t. It didn’t matter to Zuko, but in the heat and passion of the moment… Zuko kept Katara’s necklace as if it was a personal treasure, a side-effect of the bewitchment he was given. 

Zuko missed that feeling in Katara’s chambers when it disappeared, but at the same time, it showed him that he could feel like that. He was missing out. It created a rift in Zuko’s core. Perhaps, the rift had already existed, and Zuko was blind to it until it was filled.

“Who was it?”

“Don’t you already know?”

Zuko soured. No, he didn’t. It seemed that Wu would not allow her secrets to become known. It had been too soon. Zuko threw whatever he wanted to process in his mind away. “I want you to leave.”

“The god of the dead holds many secrets. My secrets that he dare not share with you or kin of his. You wished to ‘punish’ Katara by throwing yourself headfirst into a plan that you did not completely understand. It didn’t matter to you. As long as she paid for what she did to you, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that many would be hurt in the wake of the destruction.”

She was overstating her boundaries. Zuko was not one to be chastised or lectured. “You do not sound neutral, you crone.”

It seemed that Zuko’s moment of rudeness sparked a whimsical glint in Wu’s eye. It even seemed as if she swallowed a laugh. “I admit my sisters are far more pleasant to look at, god of fire. Though, I assure you that I am neutral. If you do not like the truth from my words, then perhaps you should take your second chance at life and change it.”

Now that was a quizzical thing to say. Zuko, who had been keeping his distance purely based on Wu’s reputation, found himself inching nearer to the Fate. This being knew the past, present, and future. “What would have happened to me if I completed my mission?”

“Ah, so you want to know the future. The future that is supposed to happen… God of fire, not much can be said. You were to be a small factor in the god of the dead’s plan. The world would be yours of course. The other gods could not stand a chance. It would have been a bloody existence, but the goddess of spring would return.”

“I—”

“Isn’t that the goal?” Wu glazed upon Zuko with unyielding conviction. “The god of the dead would succeed, but there are consequences to those victories… dire ones. Deadly ones… for you.”

“And, what now? Am I forced to live a life without it? Without… her?”

That small remark held no weight to the Fate. There was no telling if she was mad or not. “That, I do not know because you have changed it. The future… I cannot see it. You are my worst nightmare. That is why I am here, god of fire. I am here to tell you that I know nothing of your fate. You are a catalyst. Whatever you do next will change the course of time. Now that you know now, I will ask again. What will you do about it?”

* * *

If the Fate wished to confuse Zuko, then she succeeded. The idea that Zuko held the weight to change the course of fate numbed him. Perhaps it was better to hide away, let the story play out as it should. What Wu had told him was a good future. His father succeeded. His mother would be with them. 

Not much could be said about his future.

He would be a small piece. 

As Druk and Zuko flew above the endless bounds of Earth Kingdom forest, Zuko knew that the only thing he must do is return to the Underworld. Zuko didn’t care about the banishment. He would return. 

To Ba Sing Se.

If anyone knew how to return to Ozai’s good graces, it would be him. 

But, Zuko learned something rather quickly on his trek to the acropolis. It was hard to avoid leaving your mark on the world as a god flying on a very hungry dragon. What he needed was to lay low. Do as little as possible. That was utterly impossible.

“Druk!”

The dragon plunged from the sky, hurling the fire god in the misty forests below. Zuko tried and tried to reach the Druk’s senses, but the dragon’s mind was set. After all, a very hungry and very tired dragon would have little regard for a chthonic god if a meal was at stake. 

They landed in a part he was unfamiliar with. Misty and dark, this place was not of mortals. It was as if the sunlight was expelled from the shady branches. 

Zuko had to laugh dryly at his situation. “You should eat, Druk. It was inconsiderate of me. You sniffed something out, so what’s so important in this forest?”

Zuko’s words did well to summon the creature. A silver stag with golden antlers. If the color of its coat didn’t tell Zuko that it was something special, then the size did. The stag had to have been three times the size of a normal one. 

He ran a hand across his face. Zuko was in no mood to deal with such a magnificent creature. It had only been hours since he was banished from his own home. Zuko figured he had done enough for one day. Guess not. 

The stag, a proud and fearsome beast, was not pleased to have unwelcome beings in its territory. As a strong creature would, it pointed its antlers for the charge. One pierce from those horns would gore the strongest mortal. Lucky for Zuko, he was not a mortal. 

“Are you sure this is the beast you want?”

Its soul would be enough to last the dragon for many years, so what harm would it be to allow his cherished companion to eat?

The stag charged. Druk flared out his wings and ignited the greenery in an attempt to trap the stag. Zuko, who really wished he was out of the fight, found himself trapped in a struggle. Dragons were not known for their subtlety in nature, and Druk was no exception. 

It didn’t seem like the stag was charging for Druk but Zuko. He didn’t know that he was in trouble until it was too late. 

Maybe it was the irritation, or maybe it was the fact that Zuko was having a really, really bad day, but Zuko was tired of the game of cat and mouse the stag and Druk were playing. It was causing more destruction than necessary. So, to end it, Zuko did what any god would. He summoned his sword and cut the stag down. 

Druk, of course, was grateful and swallowed the stag with little regard, but there was someone who was festering with rage at the sight of it. 

One river-dipped arrow was enough to subdue a god, but Zuko got two for good measure. He watched in horror as gold oozed from the arrow wounds, not healing as they ought to. But, that was nothing compared to the horror of realizing that he was surrounded by many bow-carrying figures.

So much for laying low.

Wu, the Unturnable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, minor cliffhanger. I hope you know who's coming up next!
> 
> It's a bit of a plot chapter. Now that Zuko's kicked out, well he's got a lot of issues in his hands especially if he wants to keep the future the same. 
> 
> I thought Aunt Wu was perfect for one of the Fates. She's not one of the main characters, but she's gonna keep an eye (literally one eye) out for Zuko since he's the one who mucked up the future.
> 
> I hope no one's confused. All will be revealed in time. Thank you for reading, and lmk what you think.
> 
> Peace out


	10. Assembly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sweetness, you don’t need to wait for a crisis to call us up. I mean, you’re tied up tighter than a bunch of angry eels.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!

X

Assembly

“Lord Ozai ignores my letters?!”

Jin swallowed thickly after returning the parchment to Katara. The messenger of the gods was a frequent at Katara’s realm. Katara may not have been her most literary patroness, but she certainly kept Jin in business. 

“If it makes you feel better,” Jin weakly responded with a heavy shrug of the shoulders. “He’s ignoring all letters. I can’t even get in.”

Sokka, who was listening adeptly, gave Katara an attempt of humor. “See? You aren’t the only one.”

“Sokka, you aren’t helping.”

“May I ask why it is that you are so insistent?” Jin’s heavy winged hat was crooked from her rapid work. “I know that it’s none of my business. Is it serious? I mean… Lord Ozai is a scary guy but… He’s been dormant for hundreds of years, and his children keep to themselves.”

That was what sparked Katara’s agitation. “No, that Zuko is the problem. He stole from me!” Katara’s hands absentmindedly reached for it only to find bare skin. Her jaw clenched. Just thinking about Zuko made her skin crawl. “I don’t know what he was planning, but Zuko was in my chambers. I have reason to believe that he wanted to hurt me. Because of this behavior, I have reason to believe he was behind Yue’s disappearance, which is even worse!”

Jin seemed to be taken aback. Her eyes flickered around the room to swallow Katara’s claim. “Zuko doesn’t leave the Caldera. If you say him, I believe you… but. I’m in shock by your claim. Zuko is a dork.”

“A dork?”

Katara found it hard to speak of Zuko in such a casual and childish way. It was obvious that Jin knew Zuko from work. In fact, it was possible that Jin thought of Zuko favorably. Katara was not going to allow Jin’s opinion, no matter how sweet she was, to sway her.

“Yeah, I mean. I’d vouch for Zuko.”

“Jin, he crept into my  _ younger  _ sister’s room and stole my  _ younger  _ sister’s necklace. He’s got creep written all over him,” Sokka barked. Here he went with the overprotectiveness. In this instance, Katara would allow it because it was helping her cause. “It’s not an argument on whether Zuko is good or not. He wronged my sister, and now he has to pay for it.”

Jin crookedly sighed. There wasn’t an immediate answer she could give them. The extent of her power revolved around access to all corners of her world, but she had been wrongly locked out of the Underworld. 

“I believe you. I believe you.” She threw her hands up in defeat. “Lord Ozai has been more and more reclusive these past years. I hope that this isn’t a threat of something horrible to come.”

“You know their history just as much as I do,” Sokka responded. “Those of the Fire Nation are violent to my people. If it’s a war he wants, then I have no problem lowering Lord Ozai’s ego.”

Katara rolled her eyes. “Now you’re just being cocky, Sokka. I agree that Lord Ozai has been dropping hints of his intent for longer than I should have allowed, but he’s ignoring me. He’s been bullying my people for too long. This is the last straw. I don’t plan on sitting back. Sokka and I are going to get my necklace back in person.”

Sokka’s eyes twinkled like they did when he was a goofy little god. Giddy was what it was. Though, Sokka was always a little giddy. “Katara,” he cheered out. “Are the famous Water Tribe siblings going to seize the day once again?”

She let out a short laugh. “I think it’s been long enough since we’ve caused a commotion.”

“How can I help?” Jin asked the siblings.

“We need Toph and Aang,” Sokka explained. “If anyone knows what happened, it’s Toph. And, Aang… oh, he’ll get us there fast.”

Jin saluted. “You got it!” Then she was gone in a blink. 

To describe what had happened after Katara woke with Zuko at her side in a single word would be pandemonium. Yue’s disappearance yanked Katara from her slumber so roughly that it was like the moon’s influence was leaving her body. The shock of it all prevented her from doing anything to Zuko while he was in arms reach. It was a moment of weakness. She should have chased after him, but instead, Katara held the blanket to her chest as a barrier. 

Sokka did his best to track Zuko down, but even the god of strategy had his limits. Katara was going to follow him with the rage of the sea at her heels, but Sokka stopped her. 

So now, the siblings were in a mad dash of letters. Every deity would know of what Zuko had done. Was it a hasty act? Perhaps. But, all deities had Zuko on their minds. He would have nowhere to go. 

“Katara,” Sokka started. He wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. She had sunk into herself without noticing. “Zuko will pay. They stole Yue. I know it. I will not allow them to continue these grievances. The real question is: should we tie him to a rock and let a sea monster eat him, or should we just freeze him in a glacier?”

“Sokka!”

“I like the sea monster plan myself. You were on to something with that.”

This was what Sokka was good at. He had a way with words that some gods were envious of. Smooth-talking Sokka could get anything done, and he made anything sound possible. 

Katara had a different approach. 

There were many good things about Jin, but the best was that she was a fast worker. Right before their eyes, Aang and Toph appeared in Aang’s usual gust of wind. 

“Katara, what happened?!” Aang cried out. He rushed to her side but kept his distance. “Are you hurt?”

She waved him off. “No, no. I’m fine. I’m just pissed.”

“So, nothing new,” Toph added, holding to the crook of Aang’s arm. “Sweetness, you don’t need to wait for a crisis to call us up. I mean, you’re tied up tighter than a bunch of angry eels.”

“Who taught you that?” Sokka laughed.

Katara found herself smirking at the small goddess. “What are you talking about? We see each other a lot.”

“Yeah,  _ we  _ do, but you’re always working, working, and working.”

Aang tried to pacify the situation. “Hey, let’s not give Katara a hard time. We just got here, and I don’t know about you but I want to enjoy our time together.” He finished off with a weak smile directed towards Katara. 

Despite Aang’s knack for soothing anyone, Katara found herself tenser than ever. The thing was… Toph was right. Ever since inheriting the isle at such a young age, Katara found herself drowning in all the responsibility. Even at the sight of her old playmates, Katara could hardly muster a smile. She was too young… When her and Sokka’s mother died at the hands of Ozai, Katara was thrust upon a throne that a mere godling could not handle. It wasn’t all bad, but Katara feared that her increasing solitude was sucking all the life from her. 

“So, you got any ambrosia?” Toph asked, walking past the pair to reach the stash that she knew existed. “Nectar?”

“Hey, hey, hey, if you’re getting some, bring some for me,” Sokka called out. 

Aang put a hand on Katara’s shoulder. His touch was feather-light. Even after all the years, Aang was still the shy little, maybe not-so-little, sky god that still couldn’t control his fluttering wings. 

He appeared right in front of Toph, causing her to thud into his chest. “What’s the big idea, Twinkletoes?”

“Katara needs your help,” he reminded. He whispered so only she could hear, “But, I want some ambrosia too.”

Like a little child who had their hand smacked away from the sweets, Toph turned and marched back to the sea goddess. “You’re only acting like this because Sweetness is around,” she grumbled to herself. Regaining her composure, Toph continued in a louder voice, “So, you want to know where Hotman is? He’s not in the Underworld if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“He’s not? That’s great news,” Sokka added.

“Why did he steal my necklace?” Katara insisted. 

Toph looked… stumped for once. It was a look that unnerved Katara because if Toph didn’t know, then Katara was out of luck. 

“It’s all… fuzzy. It’s like someone was interfering with the vision.” Toph pulled a single strand of hair. “Here’s what I got, though.” She strained, her lips pulling into a thin line. “This isn't right. I’m not supposed to blank like this.”

“Toph?” Katara rushed to her side. “Toph, what’s wrong?”

Toph tried to shrug Katara off to no avail. “I’m fine. You’re still as smothering as ever. It’s just that there are pieces that I can’t access. Normally, when I’m asleep for something it will come to me delayed, but some parts aren’t coming at all. All that I know is that Zuko snuck around the island looking for you, and he was pissed. I mean,” She made a big motion. “Bloodthirsty. Anyway, he was going to give you a potion and steal you away in the night. Emphasis on  _ going to _ . After that, it goes all blank.”

“Why’d he stop? That—That doesn’t make any sense,” Katara croaked.

“Easy,” Sokka interrupted. “You sound almost mad that he didn’t slip you a potion.”

Katara snorted to herself. “I’m obviously glad he didn’t. I’d be insane to do that. I’m just confused.”

She thought about those very slow seconds in her chamber as Zuko stared at her. It was so dark but the glow of his fingers and eyes. Katara couldn’t say she had ever been gazed upon like that. Zuko, eyes piercing and shoulders tensed, looked like he was going to attack her… not the violent kind. Each rhythmic rise and fall of his chest was not ignored by Katara.

Goosebumps. Katara never gets goosebumps.

“Confused?” It was Aang who spoke up, doting as ever.

It was enough to snap Katara from her thoughts. “Yes, uh, it’s confusing because…” Toph was looking at her. Maybe not  _ at  _ her, but in her general direction. Katara loved Toph, but it wasn’t great having the goddess of knowledge… knowing… everything.

Toph gave off an evil glint. Messing with Katara was her favorite pastime. “Yes, I bet it was. Why don’t you tell us what happened? Don’t leave anything out.”

“Oh, no, it’s too intense to think about,” Katara waived off. 

Aang simmered in his sandals. “I can’t imagine. To stalk such a kind goddess as yourself, it’s plain rude.”

Aang was right. It was rude. It was very, very rude. Katara had romanticized it. It was stupid of her to think about such things like that.

“I think you’re laying it on a little thick,” Toph whispered through her teeth. “Beyond how ‘dreadfully horrible’ the whole thing was, you have to tell us. You wouldn’t want me to be an incomplete goddess of knowledge. Who knows, maybe it will jog my memory, and I’ve got a good one. And, I might remember where Hotman is at this very moment. Hm… Earth Kingdom… but where?”

Jerk.

“Okay, okay,” Katara bristled, thinking about how she was going to get back at Toph and making sure she saw all of it. “I woke up when I sensed something was wrong with Yue, and he was just… there. Zuko was staring at me. It was creepy.” Yes, it was creepy. “He seemed to snap out of a trance and then ripped my necklace off. He took off after that.”

“So, that’s all he did? Stared?” Toph muttered in a humorous tone. “Hotman had bad intentions and then he just stopped.”

“He must have been bewitched,” Aang pointed out. 

“I would have noticed if Hotman was bewitched,” Toph explained. 

Sokka groaned and threw his arms into the air. “It had to have been a deity. But, I don’t know any god—”

“Or goddess,” Katara added.

“Sure, or goddess that is powerful enough to wipe your memory, Toph.”

“I don’t like not knowing, and I’m positive that Toph doesn’t like knowing,” Katara said with exasperation. “I say we continue this conversation with Zuko present.”

Toph, who was practically shaking with the excitement of hunting down a god with her best friends, gave a wicked sneer. Oh, how good it would feel to stretch out her toes. “You’re going to love this, Sugar Queen. Our hotheaded friend is with none other than Lady Kyoshi and her band of merry huntresses.”

She did love that. She loved it a little too much. Katara couldn’t help but match Toph’s mischievous expression. Lady Kyoshi is not one for taking audiences with gods, especially a fire god. Zuko had to have done something stupid to be with her. 

It seemed that everyone was ready to zip over to Kyoshi’s enchanted forest, but Katara had a different idea. “Let’s allow Zuko to stew a bit. I’m sure Lady Kyoshi is treating him with the utmost hospitality. In fact, Aang, I think we should take the scenic route instead of spiriting us away.”

“Oh, no—!” A hand was clasped on Toph’s mouth. 

“Excellent idea. I’ll call Appa right away,” Aang told the sea goddess.

Toph growled and licked Aang’s palm, causing him to recoil and wipe the saliva on her shoulder. 

Toph was going to say something snide and sarcastic, something along the lines of how she hated the ‘scenic route,’ but Katara was long gone with Sokka and Aang at her sides. 

Well, this certainly will be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gangs all here.
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with me through 2020. I hope 2021 is much better!
> 
> Next up, we are going to see what Kyoshi and her Huntresses are up to. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Peace out


	11. Huntress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko wasn’t scared.
> 
> Or, at least… He wasn’t scared until Kyoshi appeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

XI

Huntress

Zuko quickly learned that the hospitality of these forest dwellers was not something to be dreaming of. The Immortal Huntresses of Kyoshi they were called. Some regarded them as fierce warrior goddesses, but Zuko knew they were just short of the title. After all, they were once mortals themselves. The real deity in charge was Lady Kyoshi herself. 

And, it was her divine hospitality that got Zuko locked in a cage like a wild animal. 

“Do you know why you’re here?” one of the immortal huntresses asked, her tone forceful and haughty. 

“No.”

They left him out in the open in that wooden cage. It must have been crafted by the finest and most nimble hands. Zuko had heard many tall tales of the Huntresses, but it seemed that the silver arrows dipped in the icy waters of the Underworld was no myth. In fact, they left one in his side to prove the point. Calderian water nullifies a god. It’s a smart practice. 

Druk was treated better than Zuko, calmly resting under the thick canopy of trees that shaded the mystic hideout. Zuko couldn’t say he had ever been somewhere like this, hidden completely from the prying eyes of mortals. Still and serene, the misty mysteriousness rivaled the Caldera itself.

The huntress narrowed her painted eyes, matching each one of her sisters of the hunt. “That can’t possibly be true.”

“I need to speak to your Mistress.”

“I don’t think so,” the huntress rebounded. Of a strong and stocky build, the huntress was the epitome of an athlete. “I know who you are. I know what you did. I know everything your family has done. Lady Kyoshi doesn’t speak to chthonic gods, especially ones that destroy her forest.”

Zuko held his anger. If they would just— “Are you sure that you have the authority to make Lady Kyoshi’s decisions for her?”

He had hoped that it would irk the huntress, but it did nothing of the sort. “My Mistress is more than capable of making her own decisions. But, as her second-in-command, it’s my job to keep Lady Kyoshi from dealing with tiny problems like you, hm?”

“I need to speak to her. This is all a misunderstanding.”

“Oh, in that case, fire god Zuko… No.”

Zuko reached for the bars. “I will burn my way out of here if I have to! And, you’ll be first on the list, Huntress!”

“Suki. My name is Suki.”

“Fine!” Zuko threw himself back. “You’ll be first on the list,  _ Suki _ .”

The huntress called Suki gave a triumphant grin, but it looked a little feral with the painted face and wild persona. But, it seemed that beyond the obvious animosity Suki held, he was a fair being. “Why do you need to speak to my Lady?”

Slightly defeated, Zuko shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not supposed to be here. I didn’t mean to land here. I’m sure if I just explained myself…”

It was unclear if Suki had felt bad for the fire god, or if she truly believed him. Maybe Zuko’s luck had started to change because Suki left, presumably looking for Kyoshi. It gave Zuko a feeble hope. Perhaps these women would be lenient on him.

Zuko at least wanted this arrow out of his side. The gold slowly trickling was starting to stain his clothes.

Zuko wasn’t scared.

Or, at least… He wasn’t scared until Kyoshi appeared.

The goddess of the hunt was known to be a protectress of young women, chastity, and wild nature, but the vision in front of Zuko did not inflict the warm image her titles held. Above all, Kyoshi was the goddess of the hunt, and she expressed that. She expressed that with her very being. The other huntresses were just mere interpretations of the real thing. 

Kyoshi stood before him making Suki look tiny in comparison. Even Zuko knew he was a flounder compared to the goddess. Her moonlight skin was shaded under the heavy hood of her leather-worked garb. It was like her skin had never been touched by anything other than moonlight. 

Zuko felt the fight drain out of his body as he internally cowered. His hand shot to the necklace around his wrist. He didn’t even register what the strong-jawed woman said at first. 

“What?”

Her rouged lips tightened. “I said: ‘What is it that you wish to talk about?’”

“Oh, yes,” Zuko darkened when Suki gave him a smug look, openly proud of her Mistress. “This is all a big misunderstanding. I’m not supposed to be here.”

“I assure you that I understand quite clearly,” Kyoshi explained. “I saw what I saw. And, I felt what I felt. There is nothing to misunderstand.”

Zuko found frustration again. “But—”

“Did you have anything to do with Yue’s disappearance?” There was a brief pause. Apparently, Zuko didn’t respond fast enough. “Let me rephrase myself. Did you defile the sanctity of the moon, the very thing that drives the hunt and protects it?”

“No! I didn’t defile anything. I had nothing to do with it!”

“But, you know who did.”

Suddenly, the gravity of the situation crashed down on Zuko. He was surrounded by numerous lethal killers, ones that were pissed at him and pissed about Yue.

There was an ounce of foolishness left in him. “You wish to blame me because of my bloodline. I won’t crack just because you wish to sway me. I am loyal and proud of my family, and I won’t let you take that away.”

That caused several laughs amongst the crowd, but Kyoshi held her ground. The cool piercing eyes of a seasoned goddess peered at his resolve. “Do you refuse your history?”

“My history?”

“Do you know your history?”

“Of course, I know history.”

Kyoshi shifted her stance, making herself look less violent. “But, do you know  _ your  _ history? The history of your family. The lineage. The atrocities. The deaths. From Ozai back to Azulon back to Sozin and back on. I’ve heard this kind of talk about familial pride from the chthonic gods, and I think it’s a valiant thing. It’s the strongest thing you have. But, I’m afraid you abuse it.”

There were no stutters in Kyoshi’s words. Maybe she had never stuttered in her entire life. Zuko felt scolded. It was mildly embarrassing. 

“That doesn’t…”

“I am surprised to see that you of all people  _ still  _ holds tightly to your father. I assume that you have been expelled from your ancestral home if you are out in the world. I assume that you are on the run if you have been flying so recklessly, so recklessly that you have exhausted your dragon and forced him to feed. And, let’s not forget your past. Your Lord and Father was the cause of your scar. 

“You seem surprised that I can conclude such a thing. I know the traditions of your culture, and I know that Lord Ozai is the only god in this world that can potentially do such a thing to a god and his own son.”

“Shut up.”

Suki spoke up, “Don’t speak to Lady Kyoshi like that.”

“He ripped your birthright from you. He turned you from a god of the dead to a god of fire.”

“Shut up!”

“You defend your family, but I see no point in protecting them.”

“Shut up! Shut! Up!”

Zuko turned into a torch of fire, screeching out fire and exploding in anger. The cage contained the outrage with its mystic properties. Most of the immortal huntresses gasped out in fear or awe of Zuko’s power, but Kyoshi stood still as night. She was not at all surprised or horrified by Zuko’s outburst. He was his element. One puts too much kindling on an ember, and it turns into a forest fire. 

“Your display does not scare me or intimidate me. All I see is a god that cannot control his emotions,” Kyoshi called out. “All I suggested was that you acknowledge your history, but that seems to be too hard for you.”

It seemed that his temper had subsided just a bit. It was just enough for the flames to relax and for the temperature to return to its normal comfort. 

“My circumstances,” Zuko growled out like a feral animal. “Are not to be spoken of.”

“Justice is what keeps the world in balance, god of fire. Perhaps you are too fresh to the situation of the world to wish it. But, I am not.” Kyoshi raised her chin, glowering down at the flickering flames dancing on Zuko’s shoulders and hair. “When those who stole innocent Yue from her abode are found, they will know justice—”

A gust of wind stopped Kyoshi’s speech. For a brief moment, Zuko thought that he was saved from the lecturing and the guilting, but it seemed that Wu’s warning was holding true. 

A beast that Zuko never saw before. He smelt it first before it broke through the canopy of trees. It smelled of a farm animal, or at least what Zuko expected a farm animal to smell like. The horned beast descended upon the huntresses with that sky god, Aang, directing it. 

As if Zuko’s situation couldn’t get any worse it did. This had to be the worst of it. 

“It seems Aang has come to pay me a visit. What fortunate timing,” Kyoshi explained. 

Most fortunate indeed. 

Instead, it wasn’t. Because Toph, Sokka, and  _ Katara _ all jumped from the beasts back. Zuko sucked in a breath so fast that smoke latched in his throat. Despite the burning, Zuko kept quiet and instinctively hid the necklace behind his hand. That was what she was here for… amongst other things. 

They would certainly laugh, seeing Zuko so pathetically in a cage. It would probably fill them with more joy than humor. 

“Let me explain the situation to Lady Kyoshi,” Aang told the trio. “She’ll understand everything.”

Sokka looked around at all the huntresses that stared, gobsmacked by the sudden entrance of Appa. He straightened his shoulders and puffed out his chest. “So, these are the Immortal Huntresses of Kyoshi. There certainly are… a lot of them.”

“Don’t get any ideas,” Toph remarked, arms crossed.

“I didn’t even say anything!”

“But, you were thinking about it.”

“Guys,” Katara pressed. “They can probably hear you.”

Sokka smiled a little and went back to eyeing the huntresses, stopping at the one next to Lady Kyoshi herself. “I’m just appraising their battle prowess. That’s all.”

Katara sighed so loud that even the leaves rattled. She really didn’t want to get in trouble with the huntresses of all beings, especially over the matter of her brother. “They are maidens, Sokka.  _ Eternal maidens _ . Vows of chastity, maidens.”

“I get it, Katara. You don’t have to spell it out for me. I’m just looking.”

“Well, don’t get caught,” she muttered.

“Yeah,” Toph joined in again. “They don’t like peepers. They’ll turn you into a woman. I’m sure Katara doesn’t want a sister.”

“He’s annoying enough as is.”

Sokka shook off their critiques. “Please, I would be a wonderful sister. You’re just mad because I’d be more beautiful than you.”

“Before we dive deeper in the conversation,” Toph said offhandedly. “I’d like to remind everyone that Zuko is here. Like so close you can strangle him yourself.”

That snapped Katara from whatever scolding she was about to do. Yes. Zuko. That was why they were here. Katara was taught manners. It was rude to wander in a deities realm uninvited, but this was a special chase in Katara’s mind.

She narrowed down on Zuko and marched towards him with more vindication than one of Kyoshi’s arrows. He looked smaller than she remembered. Of course, his current position had much to do with that, but Zuko didn’t look to be the menacing being that he was when they first met. In fact, he wasn’t all that menacing that one night.

Weaving around the huntresses, Katara reached her hand in the cage and yanked Zuko up by the tunic.

“Where is my necklace?”

“I don’t have it,” he lied weakly. 

Katara slammed him closer to the bars so they could meet eye to eye. His façade of calm betrayed him as his eyes darted around. Zuko didn’t want to appear nervous, but it seemed that his skills in that category were lacking. 

“I didn’t ask if you had it. I asked where it is,” Katara growled. 

Suki tried to put herself between the two, but it was no use. “Lady Katara, you need permission from Lady Kyoshi first.”

Katara waivered a bit. Aang would fix whatever issue she had caused. 

“He has it,” Top called out, picking at her dirt under her nails. “He’s a big liar. Check his wrists.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Kyoshi asked, striding with Aang at her heels. 

“He has something special of mine.”

“I can see that. Put my prisoner down.”

Katara did as instructed. Zuko teetered with his newfound balance, showing the necklace carefully wrapped around his wrist. Katara didn’t take time to investigate why Zuko would keep her necklace in such a seemingly personal spot. 

Kyoshi continued. “My compeer, Aang, has shortly explained the fire god’s wrongings to you, Lady Katara. I can conclude why my lunar associate would have qualms with Zuko, but it seems there is more than that.”

“I request Zuko’s custody.”

“I cannot grant that.”

“Why not?” Aang asked before Katara could spout some unsavory words. 

Kyoshi turned her gaze to the glaring Zuko. “Not only is this god the only possible lead to finding the kidnapper of Lady Yue, but he has destroyed part of my forest and killed one of my sacred stags. He is mine to try for justice.”

Zuko threw his face into his hands. With each breath, it seemed that Zuko was changing more and more of the future. Wu had to be laughing somewhere. The golden antlers should have given away the creature’s holiness. 

“It seems that there is a disagreement between you two,” Toph pointed out. 

Katara squared her shoulders. “I believe that Zuko was sent to do the same thing to me as had been done to Yue.”

Kyoshi did not indicate changing her mind. “I see…”

Toph spoke in a louder, less subtle voice. “It seems that there is a disagreement between you two.”

She gave Sokka a hard elbow. “O-Oh, yes! What a hard decision. So many problems.”

“A big disagreement,” Aang added at the end. “What will we do?”

The goddess of the hunt turned to her second-in-command. “Suki, what do you think of this issue?”

“I believe that the Guardians of the Forest will be able to settle this disagreement.”

“I believe so too,” Kyoshi murmured. She faced Katara with hard lines. “And, what say you, Lady Katara? Do you think the Guardians should have a say in this dispute? Their wisdom is most valuable.”

The hard part about that is the fact that the Guardians would never side with Katara. There was too much against her, but she had to trust Toph’s blatant call for action. Kyoshi may be wise, but she doesn’t know what a troublemaker Toph is. 

“I agree. Let’s let the Guardians settle this.”

While the two goddesses reached a small agreement, Zuko, the object in this case, was growing more and more unsettled. They were going to kill him, weren’t they?

Suki, Immortal Huntress of Kyoshi

Kyoshi, Goddess of the Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I had a lot of fun designing Kyoshi and Suki. I wanted to keep the overall energy of what the actual Kyoshi Warriors looked like and then say, "What if they lived in the forest, and were like kinda feral-looking?" 
> 
> I don't usually do this. I'm debating were or not I want to show the Guardians first or jump back to see what's going on in the underworld with Yue and co. These chapters are fairly interchangeable. One before the other doesn't really change the flow of the story, so I'm taking on opinions of what you what to see first if you'd like to share. 
> 
> Peace out


	12. Lech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But, I am, and I wish to worship you. I am not too prideful to admit it. Tell me, when was the last time you’ve felt pleasure?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

XII

Lech

Yue sat in protest, far from the door and frosting the surrounding room. She may be a prisoner, but she wouldn’t roll over as expected. They attempted to win her over with exotic fruits and pretty silks, but Yue wouldn’t budge.

The Underworld wasn’t as horrific as she imagined it to be. Perhaps it would be better justice if it mirrored the deities that lived there. Instead, it was rather beautiful in its own right. No screaming souls of the damned. No blandness or dark lack of originality. 

It was warm, but that was to be expected of a volcano. And, it forever smelled of fire lilies.

The moon goddess curled into herself, closing her eyes on her knees. How many prayers would it take to make this nightmare go away?

When she raised her head,  _ he  _ was there staring at her with dilated eyes. In his hands, a tray of fruit. Innocent, but Yue knew better.

“It’s you,” she hissed.

“How are you today, my lady?”

“I am  _ not _ your lady.”

Lu Ten’s smug face filled her vision as he leaned forward to offer treasures of fruit. It was tempting. There was one tiny detail that prevented her from indulging in Lu Ten’s offer. Pomegranates. The sacred fruit of the Caldera. Yue knew the stories. She would not be tricked into tasting the seeds. 

“You haven’t eaten. You know that you must eat if you want to keep up your strength,” Lu Ten informed her. He picked a single seed of pomegranate and slowly pressed it into his lips. Yue averted her eyes. “It would be rude to decline my hospitality.”

“I’m not hungry.”

The fruit platter crashed into the wall right next to her head. Splattered fruit rained their juices on her and the floor around her.

“Fine,” Lu Ten said calmly. “You are the mistress of your own path. I’m curious to know how aware you are of your situation. Do you know who I am, my lady?”

Of course, Yue knew who Lu Ten was. He was the golden boy of the Underworld, the pride and joy. Lu Ten was a war god unlike anyone had ever seen. Yue thought that praising such brutal behavior was hardly worth it, but it seemed that Lu Ten struck fear in every mortal’s heart. That was something that gods like him wanted. 

“I know who you are. I’ve seen you rampage through the mortal world like a wild boar up from my throne. It’s vile.”

Lu Ten took this as a chance to corner her more than she already was. “I am no more vile than any other god. I hope that you come to learn this. I am the one who keeps your prayers hearty and forthcoming. No one ever needs to pray in a time of peace. They need something to fear.”

Yue wished that she was brazen like her fellow goddesses. They hardly shied away from touch and close presence. Her life on the moon was simple, but it made her ill-prepared for moments like this where wit and cunning would save her. 

“What do you want from me?” she trembled. 

He reached out to touch her hair, silky and cold like the moon. “Is it too much to just to admire your beauty?”

“Don’t touch me.”

“Why?”

The air around them grew cold. Everything in her soul told her to freeze Lu Ten within an inch of his life, but she was frozen instead. All she could do was stare at the untouched features of his face and feel his fingers run through her hair. 

“Are you… going to take me?” Yue whimpered in a tiny voice. Flashes of Lu Ten roughing her around on the moon tore through her mind. She could practically feel his teeth closing in on her ear. 

She knew that a god like him oozed sexual carnality. He could treat himself to her if he wanted. 

Lu Ten paused for a moment, maybe remembering those same scenes as well. “I may be a villain in your eyes, my lady. But, I am not a  _ villain. _ You’ve seen me on the surface, but I am not all that you think I am. You will be untouched, my lady. Unless, of course, I can be of any use to your frustrations.”

“Why am I here? You owe me that.”

Lu Ten leaned in to whisper, his hands found her shoulder. “I don’t owe you anything. Remember that. My Lord Uncle wants you to help him open something. I don’t have all the answers, but you can have them if you swear loyalty to him. We can’t have you running off and spilling our secrets.”

“Never,” Yue said firmly. 

“Oh,” Lu Ten chuckled. “Would you swear your loyalty to me?”

Yue shuddered. Lu Ten’s breath on her neck was too much as she tried to push him off. Of all things, Yue didn’t need her captor to toy with her like that. 

“You forget yourself, Lu Ten.”

He chuckled right near the hollow of her throat. The cold glint of his helm pressed her chin upwards to grant him access to her neck. His helm hid the raucous mess of pressed down hair that Yue suspected was there. “I have a secret,” he said, lowering his voice to sound non-threatening. 

“Out with it,” Yue mustered out, trying her hardest to not sound affected by Lu Ten’s teasing. 

“I have an ulterior motive, my lady,” Lu Ten explained, nuzzling her jaw once again. He never quite touched her. It was just teasing, and Yue was starting to get agitated by it. “I want you, my lady. I want to worship you.”

“You have treated me with nothing but boorish violence. I feared for my life when you stole me away.”

He left her neck to gaze at her. “And, for that, I apologize.”

“You cannot be Lu Ten.”

“But, I am, and I wish to worship you. I am not too prideful to admit it. Tell me, when was the last time you’ve felt pleasure?” He was too close. Yue was practically shaking, her own body betraying her. “I wouldn’t touch you unless you let me. So, who was it? That blasted god of strategy?”

“How do you know about that?”

“I have many powerful friends.”

Yue put on a brave face. “Sokka will come to rescue me if I can’t get out here myself.”

Lu Ten smirked. He looked much too triumphant for a god who was being scorned by the one he lusted after. “He will not. That false war god can’t get to you when the real one is right here. I heard the stories of your fleeting love, but he lacks interest. He will hound after the next pretty girl that catches his eye because that is what us gods are like. But, you do not deserve that.”

Yue was starting to get an understanding of the weight of her situation. Lu Ten was the one god standing in her way of freedom, but it wasn’t that easy. What Lord Ozai wanted from her was possibly nefarious. 

“I can’t believe that you hold my fate in your hands.”

“Smart girl.” Lu Ten stepped back, admiring her from above. Without his presence, the air returned to its unfamiliar distance. “I won’t pretend I know what my Lord Uncle has in store for you. I just want to get you comfortable in your new situation. Help me help you.”

There was no telling what that meant or what would happen to her. She waited for him to pounce on her and suckle the flesh that he had just been teasing, but Lu Ten simply stared. It seemed that he would hold his word at least for now. He wanted to use her, but she wanted to use him just as much.

“I’m hungry,” she ordered.

“Your wish is my command, my lady.”

* * *

Azula didn’t like to be kept in the dark. She had enough darkness to last a millennium. While Lu Ten was content being a dog for her father’s bidding, Azula didn’t find that to be satisfactory. He was too busy playing with his new plaything to worry about what Ozai was up to. Typical.

Things were not right. It was unlike her father to neglect his duties, and doing what? Like a good daughter, she covered for him. After all, she would inherit his job one day. 

Her success in capturing Yue was praised adequately. At first, she was upset that Lu Ten got the prize of taming the goddess. Yue  _ was  _ his prize. Whatever that lech wanted to do with her was none of Azula’s business. But, Azula was appeased by new fineries, especially jewels from the family vault. She was a dark goddess, but she still was a woman who liked to look good.

Better yet, Mai and Ty Lee benefitted from her prizes. They were already treated like royalty, but now they looked the part. 

But, Azula would risk it all just to question her father. 

“Father, may I request a moment of your time?”

He raised his head from his hands. His flaming eyes opened slowly to see his daughter kneeling before him respectfully. Always the vision of familial respect, Azula knew her father couldn’t deny her an audience. 

Ozai looked worse than when she had last seen him. He never quite looked happy, but this was a different kind of misery. Pathetic wasn’t something she would describe her father as, but he was getting dangerously close.

“What is it, Azula?”

“I simply wonder what the next step in your plan is. Zuko has certainly created more problems than fixed, but I don’t see the reason in us sitting around when Katara is out there for the taking.”

“So, you worry that my plan is not airtight?” he grumbled.

“Not just me.”

That wasn’t true, but it made her sound better. Lu Ten had nothing to her with this, but who cared? Fuck Lu Ten.

“I see…” He pondered for a moment. He never looked small while on his throne, but Azula couldn’t help but think so. “You need not worry about it.”

“Father—”

“Azula!”

She held back a yelp. Ozai had never yelled at her like that before. That was for… for Zuko. All her bravado seemed to slip through her fingers as one shout was enough to scare her. It was humiliating, and all the servants had to hear that. 

Yue probably heard that.

Mai and Ty Lee probably heard that.

_ Lu Ten  _ probably heard that.

Ozai continued. “You need not worry about it.”

A younger version of Azula would have taken the hint and slithered away, but Azula was a glutton for punishment apparently. He was the one in charge for now, but Azula was confident that she could defeat him. This was not a god in his prime. Whatever was bothering him, whatever he was clutching to so tightly that he wouldn’t tell Azula, was weakening him. 

“I do need to worry about it. If you wish to take back what is ours, letting Zuko trance around is not the answer. Zuko is a pathetic little worm of a god, but he’s not useless. It pains me to stay so, but it’s true.”

She had played the game correctly. Bashing on Zuko would always get her points with her father. It would get his attention, and it reminded him that she was on his side. 

“Losing Zuko and Druk may be problematic in words, but they were weak links. That is all Zuko will be. If he manages to encounter anything, they will scorn him for what he is. If the gossip is true, Zuko had got himself in trouble with Katara. Drown him. Freeze him. Tear him apart. She will take care of it for us. I don’t care. He is no son of mine.”

“And, what about Katara?”

“Let all this excitement die down. We will try again when she relaxes.”

Azula couldn’t deny that this sounded reasonable, but there was something off… something messy and rushed. Asking would cause problems again, but Azula pressed on. 

“And, then what? Free the gigantes? Then what? The other gods will have no power against the gigantes, but what will we do with them. Kill them?”

“Yes.”

“How is that going to be a good thing?” Azula asked, not quite knowing the words that were coming out of her mouth. “If all the gods are dead except us, who’s going to run things? It can’t be just us. That’s impossible.” If the world fell into their hands, Azula would be the one to do all the dirty work just as she did now. She would not allow herself to be demeaned like that. 

“It wouldn’t be just us…” he muttered.

“What?”

Ozai snapped his eyes closed and grit his teeth. “You ask too many questions! You’re just like your mother!”

As soon as he said that, Azula felt all security rip away from under her feet. She did her best to not sound affected, but that smug look she had forced on her face fell violently. Azula was  _ not  _ like her mother in any respects. She just wanted to forget about her, but people kept bringing her up. 

Disgusting. That’s what she felt. Being like her cowardly mother was disgusting. Azula wanted to wash those words off immediately. Being like her mother brought on bad things, and Zuko would know better than anyone. 

“I’ll excuse myself,” Azula bit out. 

She marched out of that hall as fast as she could calmly walk. But, Azula didn’t leave. No. There was something up with her father. Something was happening that he wouldn’t talk about. If he didn’t want to tell his faithful daughter, then it had to be a secret so foul, so crazy. 

So, she hid. Listening was her best skill other than combat. It seemed that her attempts would have been in vain due to the fact that Ozai just sat there, groaning to himself and being still. 

Azula was patient. It took some time, but Ozai summoned the Ferryman to his side. Ozai never had much to say to the Ferryman. There was no point in talking to the Ferryman unless you wanted to hear about the vile things he knows. Which meant… There it was! Azula’s chance!

Azula was born lucky. 

She was so lucky that her father opened his mouth and told her everything she needed. 

“Speak, Ikem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little glimpse at what's going on because in the Underworld. Lu Ten and Yue probs surprises most of you. I covered a tiny bit of Yue's backstory in the mix, but you'll be seeing quite a bit of those two. 
> 
> As for Azula, she's up to no good. I imagine sis is fucking snatched at all times. Yes, Azula dresses to impress. Surprise, surprise. This version of Ozai is much different than normal representations. I'm just playing around with some ideas. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Peace out.


	13. Verdant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The god opened his mouth, but no words came out. The truth was more damning than any lie he could weave up, but Toph would call out his lies at an instant. Even if he wanted to lie, Zuko was a foul liar. They would see right through him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

XIII

Verdant

Staring at Katara’s back was the only solace Zuko could find on this death march to his judgment. The swish of her garb was the only thing that he was fascinated by. That, and the crease of her neck. 

There had to be some kind of curse that he was under. It could have been Mai wanting to get back at him for being so rude. But, this was too far. Plaguing him with mushy thoughts was much too far for Mai. 

He had to be careful if he were to play such a dangerous game. The sky god had caught Zuko staring and tattled to Katara himself. With that information, she whipped around, conjuring water from the air, and knocked Zuko flat on his back with cannon-like force. 

It was best not to talk. Every time he spoke up, bad things happened. Zuko’s goal of not changing the future had become dust in the wind. With all this commotion, there was no salvaging it. While not the most prideful of tasks, Zuko found their march to the Guardians of the Forest to be an excellent time for reflection. All he needed to do was to stop staring at Katara.

Easier said than done. Her arrival in the situation made things messy. Every time Zuko glanced her way, he was reminded of the horrifying euphoria he experienced that night. 

“Hey, Zuko,” Suki whispered.

“What?” he bit out.

She tilted her head at him and showed him the silver dagger in her hand. “Watch it. I bet that arrowhead doesn’t feel good, but I know this dagger is absolutely gut-wrenching. Anyway. Your dragon is making some of the huntresses nervous.”

“His name is Druk, and he wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“You hear the irony in that, right? He literally ate one of Lady Kyoshi’s sacred stags.”

Zuko closed his eyes, hoping that he’d wake up back in the Underworld. “Please don’t remind me. Tell your girls that Druk is friendly. It was my fault that he resorted to that.”

“Received,” Suki acknowledged. She had acknowledged Zuko’s response but didn’t leave his side. A question was obviously stuck on her tongue.

“Out with it.”

“What’s the Caldera like? I’ve never been.”

Zuko didn’t want to be reminded. “And, you never will with that immortality vow.”

“That’s not exactly true. Some huntresses have died under extreme circumstances.”

“How can you say that so lightheartedly?”

“What? Death? It’s not something to be afraid of.”

What a strange thing to say. It made sense that the huntresses were conditioned to be brave in the face of death, but even Zuko still feared death in the back of his head. 

From the corner of his eye, he caught Katara craning her head to look ever so slightly. She thought he wouldn’t notice, but what she miscalculated was that Zuko was looking at her the whole time. Of course, he would catch it. Katara held his eye contact for a second before reacting as if she had seen the vilest thing and turned away. Zuko was mildly insulted before he remembered that they were supposed to hate each other. 

Katara and her group led the march towards the guardians. It was Katara’s sign of respect to allow Kyoshi to walk in front. More traditional god manners. What that allowed, though, was for Zuko to walk behind them under the intense supervision of the huntresses.

“What’s Hotman’s deal?” Toph mentioned to Katara. “He won’t stop burning holes in the back of your head. I think you should send him flying again. That was so funny.”

The southern sea goddess pinched the bridge of her nose. “He’s probably imagining all the different ways to kill me. And, no. I’m not causing a scene again. Zuko probably wants to start a fight to give himself an excuse to run off.”

She took in the raw beauty of the untouched wilderness. The Guardians of the Forest lived in the tallest tree in the Earth Kingdom. Mortals never traveled this deep into the forest to meet them. Instead, offerings were left at the lips of the forest. Guardians had been hiding from mortals due to cruel treatments. In the forest, they could be what they were.

“I don’t like how Hotman is looking at Katara,” Aang growled.

That weak-sounding comment made Toph laugh. “Please, Twinkletoes. You can’t even make eye contact with the god.”

“But still!”

“Don’t worry. Hotman isn’t thinking evil thoughts. Actually, it might surprise you.”

Katara interjected. “I don’t want to know.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Toph let out a long groan. This kind of information was much too tantalizing to keep to herself. The two goody-goodies never wanted to invade private thoughts. It was ‘morally wrong,’ or whatever that means. It was Toph’s job to be morally wrong. Please, as if Katara didn’t have a dirty thought in her life. 

“How about you, Sokka?”

“How about you stop teasing my sister?”

Toph leaned in close, too short to reach his ear but enough presence for him to notice. “Aw, I know you want to know,” she sang out. She sported a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Hm, Sokka? I am the keeper of all information. And, I know every single wayward thought. Even the ones about what’s under my—”

“Okay! That’s enough!”

Aang shot Toph a glance that screamed ‘stop messing around.’ “You can’t even handle one confession, but I have to hear them all the time.”

“You’re nasty, you know that.”

“I do. I do know that.”

To the untrained eye, it would seem that Toph and Sokka were flirting. They certainly had a way about themselves that allowed for the amorous lens. The pair of them were two peas in a pod, both hold a knack for the alluring side of conversation. 

Tease, tease, banter, tease, banter.

That’s how all their conversations went. But, they were explicitly against the possibilities of their romance. Well, maybe. Only Toph knew the truth. Sneaky goddess…

“I must ask, Toph, why did you insist on making us go to the Guardians?” Aang asked to break up the tension that was bothering him so much. 

“Twinketoes,” she chided. “You know I can’t reveal my secrets. The world would go into chaos.”

“Something tells me that you want that,” Katara grumbled.

“Hotman is still staring at you.”

“Let him,” Katara coldly remarked before turning to glare. He was staring with that same intensity. 

Her companions seemed to find more issue with the fire god than Katara did at the moment. She was busy, thinking up what she was going to say once inside the old juniper tree they called home. The truth was that the longer Katara thought about those eyes of his, the more unnerved she got. What was interesting was how Zuko wrapped her necklace around his wrist like it was his own. It didn’t belong to him and would never belong to him.

A horn screeched, causing birds to flutter from the trees. It was a sign that the Guardians acknowledge their presence. The Guardians were the natural-born protectors of the wild and the mediators of disputes between gods. Their neutrality in the world due to their complete focus on preserving the world makes them perfect argument enders. 

“The Guardians welcome us to their abode,” Kyoshi announced. She stepped towards the aged trunk and knocked on it. “Wake, great Guardians of the Forest.”

From the trunk, a bark-covered arm crawled across the curve. It reached out into the air and braced itself out. The tree-born entity cracked and morphed, showing that he was a familiar face. 

“Haru?”

The Guardian in question paused at his name being called, but when he noticed it was Katara, a bashful smile spread on his lips as he continued to morph into a human-like body. 

“You are a diabolical genius,” Sokka whispered to Toph.

Toph gave a triumphant smile as Sokka passed her, squeezing her shoulders in the process. “Perks of having our darling sea goddess with us.”

Haru was an old friend of sorts. If it wasn’t for the chlorophyll pumping in his veins, they would have been in much more trouble than they would have been. The younger guardian had a very open soft spot for Katara, so when Toph noticed that he was the Guardian in charge… It was obvious what they had to do.

“Guys,” Sokka whispered to the group. “What’s with the…” He weakly motioned to his head. The god was referring to the branches sprouting from Haru’s head. “Those are new.”

Katara frowned at Sokka’s comment. “If you knew anything about Guardians of the Forest, you would know that they grow tree-like additions as marks of promotion.”

“Well, I like them,” said Aang.

Sokka rolled his eyes. “Of course, you would. You have little wings sprouting from your head.”

It was Kyoshi who spoke first. Even she made the Guardian seem small. “I was expecting to see Tyro. Are you old enough to be granted such wisdom?”

Haru seemed unperturbed by Kyoshi’s biting statement. Instead, the Guardian, willowy and elegant as the tree he came from, spoke with a proud voice, “I have been granted this position, Lady Kyoshi. It gives me great honor just to listen in. Plus, it gives him a chance to see some old faces that I missed.”

“Yes,” she said, unimpressed. “Allow me to explain the situation to you. Lady Katara and I are having a disagreement as to who should be granted custody of the young fire god, Zuko. The god in question has wronged both of us as well being involved with Lady Yue’s disappearance.”

“Zuko kidnapped Lady Yue?” Haru gasped. 

“I did no such thing,” Zuko called out. “If I am to be treated like a sack of meat to be fought over, I might as well have  _ my side  _ heard.”

The young Guardian approached the situation with grave seriousness, although it was squandered by the humorous act of leaves and vines popping out of his skin to be plucked. 

Few beings had such serious jobs. Guardians were peacekeepers in the Air Nomad’s absence. The few sky gods that remained could not handle each issue at hand, so the job fell to the purest and, seemingly unbiased, creatures. 

“I must hear both sides.”

Lady Kyoshi, who was strikingly passionate about keeping Zuko, spoke first. “Zuko has offended me from the moment he set foot into my forest with his dragon. Not only did they start a fire that damaged the homes of many game creatures, but he killed a sacred stag under my protection.”

“And, Lady Katara?”

“Zuko, who has treated me with nothing but animosity, snuck into my realm with plans to steal me away as he did with Yue. When I awoke to see him at my side, he stole a precious thing from me, my mother’s necklace. And, let it not be forgotten that my mother was killed by his father.” She paused for a moment to take her eyes around. “And, he killed a gentle sea creature.”

Zuko squirmed to hear his misdeeds aloud. It was no secret that everyone in his surrounding wanted him dealt with in the harshest terms. He hoped that his discomfort would be seen as guilt. 

Haru nodded slowly. He was no good at hiding his disgust for the fire god. Not many people were. If gods liked him, then he wouldn’t be in this situation. 

“And, what about you, Zuko? What’s your side of the story? You are a part of this.” Haru seemed to have little patience for Zuko, but he gave him a chance. It was his job to do so. 

The god opened his mouth, but no words came out. The truth was more damning than any lie he could weave up, but Toph would call out his lies at an instant. Even if he wanted to lie, Zuko was a foul liar. They would see right through him. 

Zuko was tired of protecting his family that wouldn’t even protect him. Who cares about the future that he could have had? This was what they got for banishing him. 

“How sad,” Katara pushed.

It was childish, but it got to him. “Sad?! You want to know what’s sad: grown goddesses who can’t agree because they are both too stubborn! That’s sad! You act so superior when in reality, you’re just as messed up as us chthonic gods.”

No one took the insult as it was.

The truth it was then. “My father sent me to capture Lady Katara,” Zuko blurted. “And, I wanted to because of some grudge I was holding. I had nothing to do with Lady Yue’s disappearance.”

“Who was it?” Kyoshi asked insistently. 

Zuko mulled over the possibilities. The words would burn his lips, but neither of them did anything to stop him… except Azula, in her weird way. Ah, there was a lot of guilt, but Zuko would take the guilt over whatever they did to him. 

“It was Lu Ten and Azula.”

There was silence. 

“I knew it!” Sokka hissed. “That war god knows no bounds to his cruelty.”

“When I came back to the Underworld without Katara, I was banished. So, I wanted to fly to my Uncle in Ba Sing Se to ask for his help. Everything that happened after leaving the Fire Nation was a mistake, and I apologize. I didn’t know that I was in a sacred space. I just want to go to Ba Sing Se.” He sulked a little. “If you would just let me go, I’d be out of your hair.”

“Why are two lunar goddesses being targeted?” Aang asked.

The next words were like slugs crawling out of his throat. Zuko shouldn’t have any more loyalty to his father than the rest of these did. He was tossed aside, sidelined to create an heir, and then thrown out when he made one mistake. 

“My father is planning something. I don’t quite understand it myself, but…” Well, here it comes, slugs in his throat. “It has to do with freeing the gigantes.”

An arrow pierced the ground near Zuko’s feet. “You lie,” Kyoshi growled. Under the paint and the still control, Kyoshi seemed terrified by the news. She was alive while the gigantes ran rampant, and she was alive to seal them in the Underworld.

Sozin was the god of the dead when they sealed the gigantes with the protection of the moon. 

“I’m not lying!”

“He’s not,” Toph affirmed.

“I just don’t understand it,” Kyoshi mused, starting to pace. Her huntresses looked worried at their mistress’s fear. “Lord Ozai has nothing to gain from it. All it will cause is destruction. Mortals will die.”

Zuko didn’t want to slip the whole ‘take back what’s ours’ line. It would cause more stress than it would fix. 

“In the case of this information, I believe that Zuko should be under Lady Katara’s custody so that Lady Kyoshi may investigate the matter more closely.” Haru plucked a thick vine from behind his ear. “If Lord Ozai really does plan on freeing the gigantes, then we must prepare for the worst.”

“I agree,” Kyoshi nodded. “I must go, but I am not done with the fire god. I shall keep my second-in-command, Suki, with his party. I trust her to keep Zuko out of trouble before I can have another word with him.”

“Thank you, Lady Kyoshi,” Katara said properly. Now that she had him, Katara didn’t know what to do with him. It was all a whirlwind of emotions, and now she was unsure of how to feel. “I’m sure with one of your huntresses keeping an eye on Zuko, maybe he’ll learn some manners.”

* * *

“So,” Toph drawled, not quite liking the silence. “Your father is trying to take over the world, huh?”

Katara wasn’t about to back down from the contest Zuko challenged her to. She could stare too, and she would do it better. She couldn’t tell the goal of his stare. Was he judging her? Was he screaming at her inside his head? There was no telling what was behind those eyes other than bad intentions. 

Bad intentions? Please. He couldn’t do a thing. Zuko sat where they had put him for the trial. He was outnumbered. Katara, Sokka, Aang, Toph, Appa, Druk, and now Suki. And, then there was Zuko who glared up at them from where he was sitting at the trial. 

Kyoshi’s arrow had disappeared from his side once she and the other huntresses left. The wound had closed up, but the gold still dried to his garb. 

Zuko took Katara’s necklace from his wrist and held it out. She would ask for it soon, and he wanted to beat her to it. 

It dangled from his fingers, his grip careful not to burn the delicate material. He owed her that much, but Katara didn’t snatch it away as everyone expected. She eyed him, suspicious and aware that he was the enemy. 

The first time Zuko took his eyes off of Katara was when she reached out to take it, brushing her fingers on his by mistake. He took on a reserved look that Katara was unfamiliar with. 

Katara dared not look at Toph, for the goddess was aware of her own volition where her thoughts were going. That night. That one tear rolling down his face. She had forgotten it until now. Her eyes followed a prominent jaw that curved around and down his neck where the twining cords of muscle spread to his entire body.

The necklace was still warm from his wrists as she returned it to its place on the hollow of her neck. 

“What will you do with me now that I’ve spilled all my secrets?” Zuko rasped out, one eye glowing from under his dark hair to look at Katara. 

“We’re going to kill you, that’s what!” Sokka shouted. He relaxed his excitement at Katara’s sideways glance. “What? I had to remind him that there are other people here than just you.”

Suki interjected. “There will be no killing happening under my watch. Since I am Zuko’s gloried bodyguard, I’m not going to let you do away with him before Lady Kyoshi gets a chance at him first.”

“Great,” Zuko muttered.

Aang tilted his head at Suki. “If we can’t… you know… then what should we do with him? He can’t go back to Katara’s Isle. That would be… bad.”

Suki, always the one to push things forward, explained in very practical terms. “Easy solution. Take him to Ba Sing Se. He wanted to see his Uncle, right? That will clarify a lot of things for the situation. I mean, Lord Iroh has to know  _ something _ about what his brother is up to.”

“I see no point in going to Ba Sing Se anymore.” Zuko shifted in his seat. “My father will never take me back now.”

Toph, not really caring for Zuko’s somber attitude, continued despite the awkward statement. “Look, you’re sad that you did the right thing. Big deal. Don’t you want some answers from your uncle? I know I do.”

“Don’t you already know the answer?”

“No, Hotman. I’m. Not. Omnipotent.”

“Well, you’re going whether you like it or not,” Sokka ordered. 

Katara had absolved from the conversation, toying at the pendant on her neck. There were so many things that didn’t add up. The lukewarm reaction shocked her. It was unlike her to sit back when the very god was wished to do her harm was right there. 

“Why?” she asked.

The squabbling stopped. 

“Why what?” Zuko responded.

“You—You didn’t kidnap me. You were right there, and you didn’t do it. All you had to do was slip me that potion, but you just stood there. Why? And, then you fled. You had so much time to do anything in my shock, but you took my necklace. Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“I don’t believe you.”

They had returned to their staring match. 

Toph chewed on her lip, unsure what to say. “He’s not lying.”

Haru, Guardian of the Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick cameo from Haru. Had to get him in here. So, now that the gang is all together, we got some traveling to do. I'm going to jump back to Azula and her snooping. 
> 
> The guardians are based on a mix of nymphs, satyrs, and Pan. All tea, all shade, I literally hate satyrs. There are literally the worst. Rick Riordan brainwashed y'all. So, I was not about to make Haru a nasty satyr.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. ALOT of heated staring. 
> 
> Don't be afraid to voice any comments or concerns. I love 'em.
> 
> Peace out


	14. Clandestine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He kept a steely face. “You are so vulgar.”  
> “Am I wrong?”  
> “Yes.”  
> “Pity.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

XIV

Clandestine

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“You’re right,” Azula drawled. “It’s not a good idea. It’s a brilliant idea.”

Ty Lee and Mai didn’t look convinced. Azula had been ranting for hours, speaking nonsense and venting her frustrations. As loyal friends, they sat and listened mostly because they were afraid that she would incinerate them in her rage.

Azula didn’t take kindly to her father’s anger towards her. She was perfect. Never in Azula’s life had she messed up. It was completely fair for her to ask a question, but apparently, that was too much. 

“I don’t want any part of it,” Mai darkly murmured. “I could be doing better things than helping you get in more trouble. I have self-preservation.”

The goddess of the dead furrowed her full brows. “Don’t tell me you’re still sad about Zuko? I’ve told you a thousand times that you could do better. I only allowed it because it’s my brother.”

“Azula…” Ty Lee whined. 

“What? He made his choice. Zuko is a lost cause when it comes to intelligence of any kind, especially the emotional kind.” Azula started to circle Mai like a vulture. Her fingers trailed around her accessories. “You remember how he treated you before he left? You could be having suitors that bathe you in gifts instead of a sad little god who will only see you in the privacy of his bed chambers.”

“That’s not true,” Mai fought. 

“Right, you would only see him in the privacy of his bedchambers. If Zuko was truly serious about you, he would have courted you. Maybe you’d be the consort that my father asked him to have.” Azula reached a cruel purr. “But, then again… you must not have cared much since you didn’t press the matter.”

“Azula, stop it!” Ty Lee shouted. 

Calm and not at all bothered by Ty Lee’s shrill cry, Azula turned with all the mock shock she could muster. “I’m helping. Somewhere deep, deep down, it makes me sad that my friend is hurt over my brother. But, I’m starting to think that Mai was scared to become Underworld royalty.”

Mai’s thin lips turned violently. Her fingers twitched, ready to summon needles to puncture Azula’s smug face, but she sobered before doing something she regretted. “You’re such a malicious woman. Do you get joy out of this?”

“No,” she cooed, the tone concerning nonetheless. “But, sometimes the truth hurts. Not everyone can have grace in the face of the truth as I can.”

“Let’s stop talking about Zuko and overall being mean,” Ty Lee muttered. “You know what, I’ll do the plan. Yeah, I’ll do it. But, stop being cruel to Mai.”

“Ty Lee…” Mai deadpanned. “You don’t need to come to the rescue. Azula only wanted to flaunt that she knows people better than we expect. It was probably part of her plan to rile you up into helping her.”

Azula ignored Mai. “Oh, wonderful. You won’t regret it.”

The muse pondered it, going through the songs in her extensive memory. “It’s been a while since I’ve put someone to sleep.”

“Just think of it as practice. If you can put my father to sleep, then no one can touch you during the oncoming war.”

It was an extension of Ty Lee’s endless talent to put people to sleep with her song. Each of her sisters had a knack like that, summoning creatures, curing ailments, causing plants to grow, but Ty Lee was the only one that could render people’s limbs useless and heavy until they took a long snooze. 

Ty Lee fiddled with the marks of wear on her kithara. Her discomfort was obvious, but she didn’t want to tell Azula ‘no.’ Yet, Ty Lee was not scared. Deities always looked down on her for being a frilly, weak Muse, but Ty Lee is anything but weak.

* * *

_ The boy knew nought of love, and, touched with shame, _

_ He strove, and blushed, but still the blush became; _

_ In rising blushes still fresh beauties rose; _

_ The sunny side of fruit such blushes shows. _

Mai and Azula hid behind Ty Lee’s form, plugging their ears to avoid falling asleep. Ty Lee curled around the corner of the Great Hall, singing into the high ceilings. Her voice carried down the hall to a glum Lord Ozai. Anyone who was listening would find themselves.

Ozai’s form was still. It was hard to tell from this distance what the Lord of the Underworld was doing. 

Azula would never admit it, but she was jealous to not hear the full power of Ty Lee’s voice. It was told that Ty Lee brought people to tears before they fell asleep. She could feel the vibrations on Ty Lee’s back. Maybe she could imagine. 

_ As such the moon, when all her silver white, _

_ Turns eclipses to a ruddy light. _

_ The Nymph still begs, if not a nobler bliss, _

_ A cold salute at least, a sister’s kiss. _

It seemed that Ozai was starting to nod off. He was fighting her, but it seemed that he was at the numbing point. He wasn’t going anywhere. All he had to do was give in to the warm surrender of her voice. Right now, Ozai was trapped in honey, and it would be a matter of time before he allowed himself to float in bliss.

Ty Lee was belting, a far cry from the sugary sweet song when she would casually entertain. 

_ And now prepares to take the lovely boy, _

_ Between her arms. He, innocently coy, _

_ Replies, “Oh leave me to myself alone, _

_ You rude— _

“He’s asleep.”

“Thank all the gods,” Azula murmured as she took her fingers out of her ears. “My father has nerves of steel.”

Ty Lee straightened her laurel as if she sang so hard that her greenery tilted off-kilter. She hadn’t had to use her pipes like that in a while. “Good thing he fell asleep when he did. The song gets a little intense later on. My sisters used to hate it.”

“I doubt it,” Mai added. “If it was so intense, then why’d you sing it?”

“If you must know, ‘Queen of Darkness and Nothing Fun,’ it has a really pretty melody. With all of the complex successions of the theme of the song, it leaves just enough room to—”

Mai raised a hand. “I’m going to stop you right there. If I let you ramble on, then Lord Ozai will wake up.” She turned to Azula who was admiring Ty Lee’s work. “Look, Ty Lee made your father fall asleep. Can we be done with this?”

Azula tilted her head to see the smallest trickle of a tear on her father’s face. So, it was true. Ty Lee had a voice that could bring gods to tears. “Not yet,” she explained, turning from her father to the cold waters of the Caldera. “Now, to get the truth.”

“Okay,” Ty Lee nervously chattered. “But, please be quick. I don’t want to be here when Lord Ozai wakes up.”

Azula tossed a coin into the river, and the Ferryman appeared before their very eyes… and noses. He was smelling a little on the sulfuric side. There was little known about the living corpse of a ferryman, and Azula intended to find out all of it. 

“Hello, Ferryman,” she politely started.

He hissed in response. 

“Rumor has it that you have a name.”

“Azula, what are you doing?” Mai pressed.

She was ignored. “Hm, speak Ikem.”

The ferryman looked as shocked as a corpse could be. His jaw unlatched, allowing foul smoke to freely float from his ragged teeth. He tested his jaw, the clatter of his bones chattering echoed in the hall. 

“What isss it that you need, Your Highnesss,” Ikem the Ferryman whispered hauntingly. 

Ty Lee jumped back. “Eek! He’s talking! The Ferryman is talking!”

“His name is Ikem, and he’s been able to talk the whole time. My father has him under a curse or something.” She leaned in to inspect him. Nothing changed, but Azula couldn’t help the giddy feeling crawling up her shoulders. But, then again, that could have been the insects that came from his mouth. “So, what are you, Ikem?”

“I am the Ferryman of the Caldera. I have had many namesss, but my latest name isss Ikem. My very being is a collection of sssouls unfortunate enough to become sssubssserviant to the Lord of thisss realm.”

“And, so the latest soul is Ikem?”

“Yesss.”

Mai and Ty Lee, equally horrified by the talking Ferryman, tried to snap Azula out of it. It was one thing to pull a harmless little prank on her father, but it another thing to uncover secrets that didn’t need uncovering. Just the basic understanding of the Ferryman was macabre enough for the day.

“Who was Ikem? What did he do to become this?”

The Ferryman paused. It seemed his jaw was fighting against himself, but he gained control with a jerk. “Ikem was a mortal from many years ago, a lover of the Goddess of Ssspring, Ursa. Years after she was taken into the Caldera to become the Lady of the realm and your mother, Ikem sssnuck into the Underworld to free her. Lord Ozai wasss enraged by Ikem’sss insssolence and morphed him with me, the Ferryman of a thousand sssouls.”

Azula couldn’t find it in her reaction immediately. Just the mention of her mother sent Azula into a tilt. She had never known much about her mother or her history. And, right in front of her was an encyclopedia of knowledge on Ursa. Ikem wouldn’t dodge. He wouldn’t sulk. He would answer the question. 

It gave Azula a sick sense of pride that she was able to find the knowledge that Zuko was so desperate for first. She was smarter than him, and now she had access to something she deemed useless. It was too bad that he wasn’t here so she could flaunt it. 

“Azula…” The Ferryman hissed. Her name came out of his mouth too familiarly. “You look just like Ursssa.”

It was a pale of cold water on her head. Azula recoiled, frightened by the words coming out of Ikem’s mouth. 

“Y-You!” Her voice came out scratchy and childlike. “You’re trying to throw me off. I do not. Now, answer this. What is my father planning? What is his goal?”

“The answer that you ssseek requiresss you to know why Lady Ursssa left.”

“I don’t care why she left. I want to know what my father is hiding.”

“Even now, Lord Ozai loves Lady Ursa. He misses her dearly.”

Azula didn’t like where this conversation was going. “I don’t understand why you’re telling me this. I don’t care. I don’t care about my mother. My mother left me. She didn’t love me, so don’t expect me to love her. A coward. She was a coward.”

She was eating her words. Mai must have had a smug look on her face. So much for being able to handle the truth.

“Ssshe didn’t want to leave you.” Ikem paused for a moment. “You and your father hide behind walls of cruelty to pretend that you both don’t miss Lady Ursa. When Lady Ursa left, the period of peace within the Caldera sssnapped. The world was exposssed to Lord Ozai’s rage as he tore around looking for her. Lady Ursa was never his.” Azula was convinced that Ikem’s true soul was trying to vent now. “He tricked her into the Caldera with pomegranates, and stole her away from the life she once had.”

“May I ask what is happening, dear cousin?”

At the voice of a voice that didn’t summon him, Ikem disappeared in a puff of smoke. He gave Azula nothing but little pieces that couldn’t be puzzled together. 

“Lu Ten,” Azula greeted with a falsely honeyed voice. “I thought you’d be too busy fucking your moon goddess like a spring bunny to show your face around here.”

He kept a steely face. “You are so vulgar.”

“Am I wrong?”

“Yes.”

“Pity.”

Lu Ten inspected the sleeping lord. He looked mildly impressed but this was Lu Ten. He didn’t have it in himself to be impressed by anyone’s accomplishments. “Did you do this, Ty Lin?”

“My name is Ty Lee!” she growled. “You know this!”

He stepped past her. “Whatever. What’s one good reason I shouldn’t wake Lord Uncle right now? I can’t help but expect sabotage from you. Talking to the Ferryman is forbidden.”

“It’s not forbidden. I know his name,” she started to butt heads with him just as he wanted her to. They circled each other, a trait of chthonic gods. “I was just trying to get the truth out of someone. Don’t you want the truth? I can’t help but remember how angry you were with Father about his reckless plans before the moon goddess was here to distract you. By the way, do you even know what to do with her in terms of opening the crypt?”

He thought for a moment. He was not keen on proving Azula right. “I suppose you’re—”

“I  _ know  _ I’m right. I know we have the potential to be the most powerful rulers of the world, but that cannot happen without the whole truth. I’m sick of being treated like Zuko.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Mai asked. “Go along with Lord Ozai’s plan to kill every god in sight?”

Azula pondered. “To kill a god, you must kill them body and soul. You must kill what they stand for. You must kill their will to live. It’s not as easy as stabbing them in the throat you see.” She started to pace. “The idea is extreme and it would take generations to do, but it would cause the world to disappear. I was willing to go along with it unlike my father scorned me.”

“Is the loyal Princess of the Underworld rebelling?” Lu Ten mocked.

Azula gave off the image of a calm and collected goddess but internally she was panicked. It seemed that her importance to her father’s cause was smaller than expected. And, Ikem… That was too much. 

“No, not rebelling. Call it… investigating.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I don't remember if I mentioned that I did not write any of the poetry in this. It's from ancient poets. I'm not gonna pretend that I'm smart enough to be a poet. (This would be embarrassing if I already said this, but I'm being too lazy to check.)
> 
> This chapter answers some questions and creates some. I hope you're ready to speculate, or if you don't want to do that, read about the mystery surrounding Ursa. She is an important figure, and I think her relationship with her family has so much potential to be woven into many different plotlines and dynamics. 
> 
> Thank you for the comments and concerns! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Peace out


	15. Quadrumvirate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko decided that he would go for the jugular. “It’s too bad that you don’t know anything about chthonic gods. So, much for being the goddess of knowledge.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

XV

Quadrumvirate

Ba Sing Se, the city built on the backs of the many.

The metropolis of civilization was nothing less than the vision of perfection it claimed itself to be. Ba Sing Se was the poster of high society, but that was the outside view taking control. For the wealthy and those blessed with wealthy patrons, Ba Sing Se was the epitome of comfort. While many outsiders saw the opulence of high society, what they didn’t understand was that it was a two-sided coin. Opulence doesn’t come for free.

For each earned coin taken into the Inner Ring, one coin is lost in the Outer Ring.

But, there is  _ no poverty _ in Ba Sing Se. 

And from high in the heavens, a quadrumvirate of elder gods watch over the great city-state. The once violent and wrathful gods enjoy the lavish lifestyle that they fought for in the old wars. As long as the prayers and offerings keep coming in, they remain peaceful and far from the political affairs that belong to mortals.

Zuko peered over the side of the beast they called Appa. There was no saying how many people lived in the city-state. He quickly understood why his uncle would spend his time here instead of the Fire Nation. They were hardly comparable, but he would be far from the coldness of the Underworld. Why live in the Underworld when you could be worshiped in Ba Sing Se?

There was endless hostility on the back of Appa. Suki, who was named ‘protector,’ seemed to give him a modicum of trust, turned the other way to watch the clouds float by. But, Zuko noticed her hand clutched to her silver, Calderian dagger the whole time. Sokka glanced from time to time. He must not have expected much or noticed that Zuko had no point in leaving. Aang was busy directing them the correct way, but his subtle hostility could be felt. Katara was the worst. Her glare was unflinching. Zuko could help but smirk at how bothered he had her. Toph was the only one who paid him no mind. 

His only friend in this situation was flying behind them obediently, probably enjoying the leisurely pace compared to the break-neck speed they were going at before. 

Words were not necessary. It would just worsen his situation, so Zuko settled on watching the sumptuous temples passing over them. 

The nervousness of seeing Iroh kicked in right as they elevated over the clouds into a paradise unlike any other. It had been too many years. The last time Zuko saw his uncle was when he was burned. There was little need for Zuko since Iroh’s true pride, Lu Ten, was meeting expectations. 

“Toph, stay with Zuko while we speak to the elder gods for an audience,” Katara ordered.

“I’m not a pet,” Zuko growled.

Suki was another to voice her anger at the order. “I’m Zuko’s bodyguard. I should be the one to stay with him.”

Katara seemed to consider it, but there was an ulterior motive. “And, I know this because Toph has some… history with one of the elder gods.”

She piped up like a snotty child. “I wouldn’t have a history with that salty prune if he wasn’t such a traditionalist heap of old seaweed that was left to rot out in the sun!”

“If Toph shows up with us,” Katara continued calmly. “Then there would be no way they would have an audience with us, Zuko or not. Family relations would be thrown out the window the moment Toph opens her mouth.”

Toph was stewing in her own distaste of the situation. It was a little humorous watching the small goddess pout like that. “It’s not my fault that your grandfather is such a—”

“Watch what you say,” Sokka warned. 

That caused her top to pop off. Toph shouted with flailing arms. “Of course you’d defend him! He doesn’t have any problems with you! Do you not remember how he refused to accept that Katara was the inheritor of the southern seas?! I do!”

“Please stop fighting,” Aang joined in. “We’re here. Please don’t ruin this. I don’t get to see Gyatso often.”

Everyone shut up at that, those who would plea to the elders hopped off Appa with grace. That left Zuko and Toph to stare at each other in silence.

Zuko had heard that the heavens in which the elder gods lived appeared differently according to what the viewer finds to be paradise. There was a lot more sand than Zuko expected. Scoria rocks built the columns that surrounded the area and it smelled like… fire lilies and salt. 

“So,” Toph dragged out. She picked a nonexistent speck from her clothes. “You’re in quite the situation aren’t you?”

“What about it?”

“Nothing, I just find you interesting that’s all.”

Zuko rolled his eyes and turned away. He was in no mood to play with Toph. She reminded him of Azula, he had to watch what he was saying. “You shouldn’t. I’m not someone to make fun of or pity. Just ignore me, and I’ll ignore you.”

He thought it was a good response, but Toph seemed to take it differently than he wanted her to. “I didn’t know you were once a god of the dead. How dreary. I think I like you better as I see you now.”

“You’re blind.”

“You don’t have to remind me.”

Toph was an impenetrable wall. Little offended her. This whole time Toph was reading him, learning things that he couldn’t even fathom. 

“I like you, Hotman,” she ended on. “I don’t care what Sweetness says.”

For some reason, that incensed Zuko. He puffed smoke from his nose. “I see no reason for you to like me. I’m a chthonic god. I’ve been told that I’m evil, so stop treating me like I’m anything but.”

“You didn’t do anything. Everyone else will come around. I’ve just been three steps ahead of them since birth.” She started to pick at her toes. “Yes, the Caldera is a bit of a mystery, but who cares?”

Zuko decided that he would go for the jugular. “It’s too bad that you don’t know anything about chthonic gods. So, much for being the goddess of knowledge.”

It seemed that Zuko had hit his mark as Toph’s face turned blank, but it was too late to realize his mistake.

“Your first time with Mai you only lasted—”

Stop!” Zuko cried out. 

She returned to her smug demeanor. “Don’t start something with me. I might seem to be the easy target because I’m small or whatever, but I’m the most dangerous in the group. I have all the dirt on everyone.”

“How did you…? But, you… you can’t see the Underworld. It’s impossible for you to know…” Zuko was diminished into a demure maiden at the conversation, quite embarrassed at the truth. 

Toph grinned wickedly. “All secrets come to the surface at some point. In your case, it came in the form of a very unsatisfied enchantress stepping out of the Underworld with many raging thoughts.”

“I won’t do it again,” Zuko mumbled. 

“Don’t worry. I like you even more now.”

* * *

Toph’s interlude did nothing for Zuko’s anxious mind. After all that, he was still in the heavens above Ba Sing Se. He was still going to see his uncle. He was still a prisoner of Katara’s. It would be easier to swallow it whole, but Zuko was stubborn and pushed away from it. 

It seemed whatever sweet talk Katara had done on the council worked splendidly. Zuko would have killed to see how one goddess was able to sway those old minds, but it would seem suspicious that he had any interest at all. 

Within the boundaries of heavy stone and temple heads, the council sat on their elevated thrones awaiting Zuko and Toph to stumble in as if this wasn’t a part of Katara’s plan all along. The only member that Zuko knew more than a name about was Iroh, the Elder God of War. The other three were new faces. Bumi, Elder God of the Mountains. Gyatso, Elder God of the Sky. And, Pakku, Elder God of the Northern Sea.

Iroh looked just as Zuko remembered, jovial and hearty. He oozed charisma and familiarity, but many were not charmed so easily. It’s hard to forget that once Iroh had slaughtered innocents without a single thought. 

“Nephew! It is so good to see you!” Iroh called out from his throne. “You should never make yourself a stranger to family.”

Zuko barely smiled at the only god on his side in this throne room. Everyone else was busy watching him with harsh eyes and expectant posture. They had no reason to do so. Zuko wasn’t going anywhere. 

“I apologize for waiting so long to visit you, Uncle,” he said politely. 

“You are the one they call Zuko.” It was Bumi who called out to him. The hunched figure, cloaked in rich greens, smiled maniacally at the fire god. “You look just like your father. It’s uncanny.”

“Is it now…” It was not the kind of comment Zuko wanted to hear and it showed. The deities that he arrived with waited for a rude remark that never came. 

He took in the heavenly sight before him. The ceiling, open to the sky allowed Agni into view. Suki and Toph were the only ones who dared stand by Zuko’s side. The other three betrayed him and stood with their familial ties. 

Aang and Gyatso studied him. Zuko had never seen such beautiful wings in his life, but that was what made him the elder god probably. 

“Uncle,” Zuko started a little awkwardly. “I’m sure you know that if I’m here in front of you, then I’m banished from the Underworld. I just want to know if there would ever be a time when I could go back?”

Iroh took that in with little surprise. “I thought that you wanted to be free? You are free, now why do you want to go back? There is little for you there.”

“There is little for him here, too,” snarked Pakku, shimmering scales glowing in the sunlight. “The surface world has little need for another chthonic god in its midst.”

“Listen up, kelp breath!” Toph shouted. “This isn’t a discussion about your prejudices on chthonic gods. Either you treat him as an equal or you sit back and keep your opinions to yourself.”

The shock of Toph’s words caused numerous reactions but nothing beat the self-satisfied quirk of Toph’s nose compared to Pakku’s heavily offended grimace. Zuko couldn’t help but laugh behind his hand. She was a menace, but at least she was entertaining. If there weren’t witnesses, there was no telling what would happen.

He decided to take a different approach. “How you became the goddess of knowledge is beyond me. True wisdom comes with age I would think.”

Toph was ready to make him eat those words, but Zuko grabbed her arm before she could get far. “I’m not the goddess of wisdom, I’m the goddess of knowledge! They are completely different things!”

Gyatso decided that he had enough of their squabbling and summoned a loud gust of wind to silence them. “We are here to talk about Zuko. I haven’t the energy to listen to you two argue over who can talk the loudest.”

“Aw, but it was just getting interesting,” Bumi commented. 

“I wouldn’t think that it would matter why I want to go back,” Zuko continued. “I just do. It’s what I know best.”

Iroh stood from his throne and walked down towards his nephew. Zuko reminded himself that the familial comfort he was feeling right now was not true. He would never be the favorite. There was always Lu Ten. There was always Azula. 

“My brother is stubborn and prideful to a fault. It is a trait that all of us chthonic gods have. I fear that returning is out of the question for now. I’ve never known Ozai to be lenient. It just wasn’t how we were raised.” Iroh reached Zuko, looking up at him with genuine remorse. “I can’t help but think this was my fault.” 

“Why?”

“I wasn’t there for you.”

Zuko didn’t want to respond to that, but he did anyway. “It seems to be too late to be reflecting on that. Now, I’m banished, and I have the Fates breathing down my neck.”

The Fates. Just the mere mention of them caught everyone’s attention. 

“The Fates?” Suki murmured, turning to him with saucers for eyes. 

“You must elaborate,” Gyatso encouraged.

This had to be a trap, but there was no point in lying with Toph right next to him. “One of the Fates appeared to me, telling me things like… It really doesn’t matter. It was all a ruse to rile me up, and I won’t fall for it.”

“You are a catalyst,” Iroh whispered. “You did not adhere to the Fate’s plan,” he said with more strength. “What did you do to rip yourself from their fabric? What was the reason?”

He couldn’t help but feel some embarrassment. All of the young deities were able to conclude the action, but the elder gods waited in anticipation. The tips of his ears got warm as he thought about all the eyes on him. Feeling brave, Zuko’s attention turned to Katara. She knew. She knew, and there was no reading her. 

Katara was the reason, and Zuko couldn’t imagine why. She had been nothing but rude. She spoke without thinking. She was too passionate to listen to reason. But, right now… Katara didn’t show any of those traits. 

“He spared me,” Katara explained. “Zuko wasn’t supposed to.”

Her tone was not violent nor snobby. It was calm. Katara was calm. It was like she was extending a broken olive branch in his direction. It was a loose truce for now. 

“If I didn’t know any better,” Pakku scolded. “I’d think you were defending him.”

She turned. “Would that be so bad?”

Katara was stern, but she realized the magnitude of her supposed future. Zuko watched with awe as she gave her grandfather the full force of that tenacious glare. All emotions, no control… or maybe it just appeared that way. A shy flutter of the arrow wound hummed in his chest. 

“Do you forget what he did to your mother?”

“Zuko didn’t do it, Lord Ozai did. While Zuko wishes to do that monster’s bidding, I give him the benefit of the doubt just this once. And, I didn’t forget about what happened to my mother.” 

“She was my mother, too,” Sokka added in, not quite willing to join the fight. 

“It’s because of what happened that I wish for a future where we can live in harmony and no one’s mothers are taken away again. What you want to do is continue the cycle.”

Katara had silenced him. When Pakku fell back into his throne with a thud, Katara gave Zuko the illusion of a smile. The flutter became painful and pleasurable at the same time. Zuko couldn’t help but panic. Whatever spell he was under was a nasty one. When their eye contact lasted too long for Katara’s liking, she glared and spun away, raising her nose in the air. 

It was nice while it lasted.

“It makes me happy to know that the younger deities are willing to fix our mistakes,” Iroh mused. 

“Why is my father doing this?” Zuko pleaded. He was sick of all the side conversations and lack of answers in general. “He has everything in the Caldera. Please, tell me. I can’t handle someone refusing my questions again.”

Iroh took a heavy breath. Everyone was waiting for his response. What was the real reason? “Ozai doesn’t have everything.”

“Then, what is it?”

“You were sent to capture two lunar goddesses, yes? Well, that idea is not unfamiliar to me. It was a myth that my father, Azulon, would whisper in our ears. We never had any use for it until… when Ursa ran away from the Underworld. I don’t know the specific details, but he chased her to the South Pole. That’s all I know of the story. Ozai refuses to talk about it. Ozai was ready to make the world crumble in her absence, so perhaps he is trying to do it again. He never quite gives up.”

Zuko stood back, internally arguing with himself. After all those times he had been told to be quiet about his mother, it seemed that Ozai was just trying to hide an infected wound. 

“This is all over my mother…”

“That is my best guess. It is history repeating itself. Ursa was the one to stop Ozai the first time, I believe.” Iroh reached out to Zuko. “I was sent to go looking for Ursa when she slipped his grip. I believe that you must be the one to find her.”

“But where?” He turned to Toph. “Toph, you know where she is right?”

Toph scuffed her feet. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you where she is Hotman.”

“What?” he barked. 

“I can’t tell anyone where she is. I’m under sacred oath.”

Zuko wanted to combust, but Toph wasn’t being difficult just to be difficult. “For her safety… isn’t it?”

“She was pleading, and I was just a kid. Of course, I felt bad. If you ask the right questions, I can tell you things.”

“Her trail ran cold at the South Pole,” Iroh explained. “I suggest that you go and ask the god of winter about her.”

Sokka finally spoke up. “Absolutely not!”

Zuko gave him the nastiest glare he could muster. “You have nothing to do with this. If you want to complain, then you can go back to your followers. If my mother is the key to stopping all this, then why would you fight all acts to find her? I have little patience for your dislike of me.”

“I don’t dislike you,” Sokka explained. “I don’t trust you, and I don’t want you anywhere near my father. Katara, back me on this.”

She nodded. “We have no reason to trust him.”

Zuko threw his hands up in frustration and stormed off, fire trailing behind him. Suki moved to follow him, but a lick of fire stopped her. “Don’t follow me. I need to be alone.” He stopped in his tracks when he remembered that Suki could immobilize him in an instant. “I’m not asking you to trust me! I’m asking you to let me do this one good thing!” Who cared if Suki stabbed him with Calderian silver?

He needed to be alone. It was all a little too much right now.

Iroh, Elder God of War

Gyatso, Elder God of the Sky

Bumi, Elder God of the Mountains

Pakku, Elder God of the Northern Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, a lot going on. The chapter slows down a bit and you're gonna get some clarity on what's going on with Zuko. So, I hope you're excited about that because it's been building. I'm not mean. I'm not gonna make you read 50 chapters to find stuff out. It's better if it comes out in a slow progression. 
> 
> Anyway, school has started so it will take more time to update. I'll still be there. I'm not gonna drop this fic because I'm too into it. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Peace out


	16. Doves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were birds in the heavens. It was a tiny detail to notice. It didn’t really matter much. But, it shouldn’t be possible for there to be birds at this altitude. Doves maybe…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

XVI

Doves

It was best to be honest with what Zuko was doing. He was hiding in the gardens. They wouldn’t bother him here. 

Zuko was lukewarm about this new information. While there was excitement towards knowing that his mother was out there and the key to solving all their problems, there was always a bitter resentment lurking under the surface.

Ursa left.

He knew this but hearing it aloud gave him goosebumps. All his life, Zuko desperately held on to the idea that his mother was faultless. She had to be. What other reason would a woman leave her two children in the Underworld? But, there was little sympathy for her right then. Azula had been at least partially right. Zuko hated that. No matter how much Zuko would convince himself that Azula was a liar, she would always prove him wrong.

This was the kind of garden Ursa would have liked. Big, healthy flowers and thick hedges for privacy. Zuko found his solace under a chaste tree, surrounded by more flowers than he could name. 

“Now, why would a handsome fellow like you be sitting alone? You look like a forlorn princess waiting for her hero to return.”

Zuko could swear that there was music in his ears, but there was not an instrument in sight. Instead, there was a deity, the most beautiful deity he had ever seen, curled up by some roses and brushing the thorns affectionately.

“Well,” she asked, a dark eye adorned with kohl peeked to mock him. Yes, Zuko recognized her immediately. “Are you going to answer?”

“You… It was you,” Zuko growled. 

It was all clicking.

Her face twisted into a pestering gaze. For whatever reason she was here, it was full of ill intentions. “What was me?”

Zuko couldn’t get the words out. He was feeling a little hazy. 

“You’re… June…”

“The goddess of love, beauty, sexuality, passion, pleasure. Really, anything under that, it’s mine. My scope is endless. I’ve been trying to get a moment of yours for a bit. You don’t sit still.”

He felt sick. Maybe it was because he was in her overwhelming presence, or maybe he was realizing that he was tangled in something much deeper than he expected. June was not as he expected from the goddess of love. Beautiful, well yes, she was staggeringly so, but there was a stereotype. Where were the pink and the florals and the dazzling smiles? Instead, June was kind of… scary or intimidating. Deep, almost black, reds and thorn-like embellishments graced her form. No, she was the dark version that would not be romanticized.

Zuko tried to slide away, but he was trapped. June was appraising him like a killer would, slow and successful in finding every flaw.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he dumbly asked.

“You know, you should be more grateful that I graced you with my presence. I take my job very seriously, and I don’t have time to quip with you.” She pricked her finger. “You’re handling my presence quite well. Most people faint. I’m not exactly the goddess they expect when they think of the goddess of love. I don’t care.” She crushed the rose in her hand. “I’d like to nip that rumor that I appear to people as what they are attracted to in the bud. Pardon the pun.”

“You never answered my question.”

“I don’t have to do anything you say. I’m older than you and your daddy combined. More powerful, too.”

Zuko found it in himself to fake a state of relaxation. He summoned his sword and pointed at her for effect. She swirled it around, a warning.“Then leave me be!”

That fire did nothing. Before it could even touch her, it simmered down into nothing. He assumed that she was agile, so he thought that overpowering her could startle her.

“Were you not listening?” she spat. “You can’t touch me god of fire. You need to check your emotions or more sinister beings are going to take advantage of that again. Have you forgotten how I turned you into a flounder that night?”

That was the confirmation Zuko needed. “No. I haven’t.” Whatever anger he could put in his voice was useless against her. “You must have gotten some kind of sick joy out of seeing you suffer.”

June’s reaction mirrored something like confirmation and a little something else. “Maybe. You brought it on yourself. All that negative energy. No much rage and hatred. You gave me no other choice. And really, you’re lucky I got to you first. The feelings of love and hatred balance on a very thin line. I just gave you a push in the form of an arrow straight to your heart.”

“Azula told me something like this would happen. I just didn’t believe her.” He snapped towards June. “Take this curse away from me! I don’t like it. It… It makes...”

June raised another flower, an orchid. “No, that’s not how it works.” She plucked a petal and allowed it to flutter to the ground. “That arrow was just to stop you from carrying out your task. Once I realized what was going on, I wasn’t about to let him get away with it. Lord Ozai will not rough around like he owns the place. Anything after the fact, well, Zuko that’s you. You should be thanking me. I caused you to realize attraction that would have taken much too long for you to realize for my liking.”

“Attraction?!” he sputtered. “I am not attracted to Katara!”

The heavy silence didn’t help his case. June watched with a quirk of her dark lips. “Uh huh… Okay, what do I know? This is going to be harder than I thought.”

“I didn’t ask for this. You make this seem like it's some fun game.”

“It is a fun game. Love is a hunt. I’m no different than Lady Kyoshi. The joy of the chase is just as satisfying as snaring the game. The game is love. And, you, Prince of the Underworld, have a burning in your belly for a certain sea goddess. I don’t blame you. Katara is quite the catch.”

“She hates me.”

“That makes it more fun.”

Zuko looked scandalized. “To you maybe!”

June sighed. This conversation was becoming taxing. “I never miss my mark, Zuko. Love is the most dangerous thing of all. It turns mortals and gods alike to do the most idiotic things. Your daddy knows that lesson quite well. And, you, well, you’re being quite the idiot right now. I came all the way here to mock you for fighting so hard, but this was completely unexpected.”

The music in Zuko’s ears was reaching a crescendo. If he were to consider a possible and completely hypothetical attraction to Katara, the idea wouldn’t seem so crazy. He would be a fool to deny the alluring nature of the goddess. He imagined beads of water curling down her jaw and dipping into the hollow of her neck. It wouldn’t be hard to imagine her lips parting to exhale considering Zuko glared so much. And, it really wouldn’t be hard to imagine the swallow of skin from Katara’s thighs to her rear end. No, didn’t seem crazy at all.

“You’re thinking about it,” June sang out.

“And, it could only possibly be lust. I would hardly call it that. That’s not love.”

She smiled, showing him that he fell into her trap. “Lust is a love of the body.”

“You are relentless.”

“That’s what makes me the best at what I do. I feel like I’ve accomplished what I needed to do, so I’ll leave you to think. I see something in you. A lot of passion, and if you direct it in the right direction…” She whistled. “You’d inspire stories for many years to come. Just think about it.

“You’re not stupid, and you’re not incapable. And, most important of all, you deserve love just like anyone else. Don’t deny yourself that because you’re too proud.”

And, in a swirl of blood-red petals, June was gone.

* * *

Zuko sat there for a while after June left. Every so often, a reminiscent throb from where the arrow pierced him would shudder his body. June acted like this was a gift instead of a curse, but Zuko couldn’t imagine something worse. He was forced to feel against his will, so he thought. All those pretty words about how it was truly him underneath had to be lies. 

There were birds in the heavens. It was a tiny detail to notice. It didn’t really matter much. But, it shouldn’t be possible for there to be birds at this altitude. Doves maybe… June’s calling card.

As if June was watching from afar with sick glee, Katara rounded the corner looking very determined. There wasn’t enough time. He was trying to imagine the conversation. What would he say? Each conversation landed at a dead end with them fighting. The harder he thought, the harder it became to put on a brave face.

“You.” Her finger was pointed aggressively. If they were by the ocean, Zuko believed she would have submerged him in salty water. “Where have you been? Toph wasn’t going to be helpful, so she sent me to go look for you.”

Evil, diabolical brat. 

“Is that so?” Zuko simply said.

Katara looked at him like he was crazy, and he probably was. “I thought you ran away.”

“No.”

“Hm, I suppose I should give you more credit.”

“I would like it if you did.”

Zuko tried to make himself look bigger. Maybe that would protect him from her scrutiny. Physical battle, yes, Zuko could handle her. But, the quiet game of tug-of-war they were playing was not Zuko’s forte. He couldn’t play mental games like Azula. 

Memories of that night replayed in his mind. Of course, an arrow that filled him with such loathsome amounts of sexual and romantic desire would pierce his back. Why wouldn’t it? It made complete and total sense that June would plague him with thoughts of the goddess that hated him. It was a cruel punishment. Maybe she would become sick of his unknown attentions and wish to escape him. Maybe she would rather turn into a nice tree instead of living in a world where Zuko lusted after her. 

Once the feelings were out, it was impossible to put them back in. The only thing to do was suppress, suppress, suppress. 

If he touched her, would she burn?

“What are you doing out here anyway?” she asked. 

“Thinking.”

“Just thinking?”

“Just thinking.”

It was obvious that his brevity was making her uncomfortable. “I’ve decided that you should search for your mother. If it will stop your father, then my pride can be pushed aside. I think it’s important that you go. Some don’t get the pleasure of searching for their estranged family.”

Zuko’s eyes immediately jumped to the necklace he stole. Katara’s fingers tapped against it, trying to sap some comfort. Oh. “That necklace… Did it belong to—?”

“My mother,” Katara snapped. She looked away, dropping her arm like a lump of clay. “Yes.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Guilt was not something Zuko came across often. They kept asking why he took the necklace, and the answer became clear. Zuko wanted something special of Katara’s. It was just a primal instinct. It was stupid and aggressive and… sad because he was so desperate then. 

“I feel like I’m talking to a different god. Where are the flames and the hateful words and the nasty glares?”

“I’m too tired.” His tongue swelled. “It’s, um, complicated.”

“Sure,” she dismissed. Zuko’s nervous stammer was ineffective against her. It was a dumb excuse, so she ignored it. “I still don’t trust you, Zuko, but I will work with you. We can go to the South Pole, but one evil thought, and I’m taking your head.”

Zuko was too busy picking out the tiny treasures in her hair to be scared. Feeling caught, he mustered a watered-down glare. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Damn it, June.

June, Goddess of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been so excited for this chapter. It's a staple of the whole fic. The whole conflict what broken apart because of one arrow from June.
> 
> I hope you liked my interpretation of the goddess of love. Sis is scary, no doubt. June is a good fit when you think about it. When I was brainstorming who the goddess of love was going to be, June became the only answer because she was a similar relationship to Zuko in the series. Nyla may or may not be making an appearance. Not sure yet. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'd love to hear comments. 
> 
> Peace out


	17. Feral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He watched with the focus of a tiger and Yue started to walk around without a single care. He didn’t even flinch as she wisped near the door. Innocence played on her face.  
> She continued. “I thought you would have more free will. Instead, all you do is take orders.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a tiny disclaimer: if you're uncomfortable with sexual situations, just a warning. nothing too bad, but it's an atypical situation.
> 
> okay? please proceed.

XVII

Feral

“What do you want?” Yue said in an icy tone. 

She saw him through the reflection of the mirror, tall and intimidating in the door frame. Lu Ten had been consistent in his visitations. Sometimes he would give gifts, sometimes he would try to convince her to open the crypt. 

Lu Ten didn’t say anything. He just watched her comb through her long white hair with interest. Yue tried her best to seem unbothered by the intense air in the room. Lu Ten had that kind of effect. Her fingers trembled on the comb, so she gripped it tighter. Maybe it would soothe her increasing heart rate. 

“Leave us,” Lu Ten told the skull-faced guards.

Yue stared at her reflection with mock interest as the guards disappeared in a sulfuric smoke. Maybe if she pretended to not notice, Lu Ten would back off. But… Yue had a theory. She knew she was not particularly a strong goddess. Her control of snow and ice was not meant to harm others, yet Yue had one advantage over Lu Ten. She just wasn’t sure if she would do it.

“If you wanted privacy, you could have just shut the door,” Yue calmly remarked, returning to her hair. 

“I’m not in the mood for your follies, my lady.”

She caught a knot right at the base of her neck. “Humor could do you some good.”

Before she could turn around, Lu Ten’s fist hurled from behind her ear and smashed the mirror into tiny little shards. In shock, the comb slipped from Yue’s grip and fell to her feet. The distorted image of Lu Ten’s ferocity behind her head made her temperature drop in fear. She could only make out a little bit of his expression, but his shaking fist gave her everything she needed to know.

The gold-covered fist of Lu Ten turned white with pressure. Yue’s eyes followed his wide wrists up to bulging forearms. She stopped there in fear of being caught. Lu Ten was hot, temperature-wise. She could feel the heat radiating off of him and he wasn’t even close enough for that kind of thing.

“You,” Lu Ten started. “Are not on vacation. You. Have a purpose to fulfill. Lord Uncle grows impatient with your lack of cooperation.”

She turned to face him. Yue was scared, and Lu Ten was feeding off of it. “I don’t see a reason to help you destroy the world. I didn’t expect the mighty war god to be a footsoldier of the Lord of the Underworld.” Yue tried to sound strong, but it came out soft and raspy. 

He grabbed her, causing her to yelp. “I am not a footsoldier! You don’t know anything about the familial bond we have!”

“Let go of me!”

“No!”

Yue froze the area on the shoulders where he grabbed her. “What happened to wanting to worship me?!” 

Lu Ten threw her back with enough force for Yue to totter to the wall. He turned and pinched his nose. “You do not have immunity because of me,” he growled. “I am the nephew of the Lord of the Underworld first! I cannot have you as a distraction. You are nothing more than a toy to me. It’s not fun anymore when I am blamed for your incompetence.”

Yue knew that if she was going to test her theory, now was the time. Lu Ten’s words, while cruel and mean, had little effect on Yue. She didn’t care what he thought of her. The less he thought of her, the better, but Yue wanted total security.

He was a dirty, filthy liar if he was rambling off talking about how little he cared about Yue. She had not forgotten how lustful he was of her. It was a common defense mechanism, and it seemed that not even war gods were immune.

“Take off your helmet,” Yue said with no confidence. “I want to see your face.”

Lu Ten considered. She had never seen him without the thing. Not many had. 

“Why?”

“Because I want to see your face.”

He did as asked. Lu Ten tossed it haphazardly. The heavy and scratched helmet hit the floor just like her comb. 

She took him in. There was nothing gentle about the war god. Every pronounced feature was wide across his face. Despite his killer attitude, Lu Ten had not a scratch on his face, a symbol of his capability. The thick weave of hair was slightly matted by his helm, the one not intimidating feature on his body. This would do nicely. 

Yes, Yue would use her advantage.

“I didn’t think a war god would listen to a single thing a lunar goddess would say,” Yue teased, taking a step forward. 

He watched with the focus of a tiger and Yue started to walk around without a single care. He didn’t even flinch as she wisped near the door. Innocence played on her face.

She continued. “I thought you would have more free will. Instead, all you do is take orders.”

“Are you trying to make me angry?”

“Just observations. I can’t really get a read on you. Sometimes you’re official. Sometimes you’re stern. “Sometimes you’re feral, and sometimes you’re devoted. So, which is it?”

Lu Ten started to chase her, one heavy step at a time. A little fear bloomed in her chest as she unconsciously backed off. Yue knew her capabilities. This was just outside the limits of her comfort. Seduction was all fun and games until the resultant stared her in the face. She was not one who could play with one’s feelings without a drop of emotion. She couldn’t sleep around like that either.

“I told you that I’m not easy to read.”

He was standing over her now. Yue’s chest was heaving painfully against her ribs. There wasn’t enough air to calm herself down. Relax. Relax. Relax. If she didn’t relax, Lu Ten was going to see right through her. 

It felt impossible. 

The anticipation was too much. 

A shaky breath came out. “Not right now. I can read every thought in your mind.”

A calloused hand wrapped around her neck and pushed her against the jagged wall. Before Yue had a chance to be scared, Lu Ten’s lips swallowed her yelp in an angry kiss. She clawed at his face, scratching and tugging for a grip. 

She went for the hair. Yue’s trembling hands couldn’t quite hold on to the hair curling around his ears, so she dropped them altogether. Pins and needles settling into her stomach as Lu Ten’s kisses grew more insistent and needy. His teeth sunk into her bottom lip hard enough to make her wince and give him the entirety of her mouth. He captured her lips again, tempting her tongue to jump out and join his. 

He pushed her tighter into the wall, the uncut edges digging into her back. Yue felt her presence disappearing in his shadow, and she was letting it happen. 

There was no air, and that was okay. Yue wasn’t going to let him stop.

Lu Ten released her enough to scoop her up and hike her hip to hip. Yue tried to not react when she felt Lu Ten’s excitement, but a whimper slipped from her lips involuntarily as her own body betrayed her arousal. 

As he pawed at the soft flesh under the skirt of her white chiton, Lu Ten planted fast, wet kisses under her ear. Yue arched her back and cradled his head to keep him there. 

Yue found herself becoming dough in his hands despite how little she cared for him as a god. Lu Ten was not slow and sensual. No, he was taking her aggressively and leaving nothing for anyone else.

His fingers were getting dangerously close to her folds. She almost wanted to yank his hands closer, but she was struggling with thinking clearly as red slouches were forming all over her neck. 

Without warning, Lu Ten pressed fully inside her. They hadn’t even bothered to take anything off. Yue moaned in relief and threw her head back for Lu Ten to drag his teeth against her neck. The familiar ache in her core throbbed almost painfully. She rolled her hips to get him to move, but he tightened his grip on her. 

She couldn’t tell if Lu Ten was smug about her reaction or not. He was all business, no connection. To him, he was probably just happy to get what he wanted. 

He rolled his hips against her with a groan. It was the first reaction he had let out the entire time. Yue tightened her wrap on his head, burying deeper into her neck. His thrusts were practiced and sent shockwaves through Yue’s body, but she felt the need to circle her legs around him in case something happened. 

Yue knew that letting Lu Ten touch her and please her was a horrible idea, but if it wasn’t the most enjoyable sex she had ever had. 

The scratches on her back were long forgotten as Lu Ten increased his tempo. 

“You’re mine,” Lu Ten said in her ear.

Eyes fluttering and mouth agape, Yue couldn’t think of anything smart to say. She was too busy squirming at the pleasure he was giving her. He didn’t let her respond. Yue was dropped to the cold ground where he continued to grind against her harder and with more leverage. There wasn’t much more that Yue could take as she writhed on the ground. He caged her down, hands holding down her wrists and taking all of her. 

Yue reached her climax with little surprise, whimpering and trembling under him. As the waves after the fact pulsed in her core, Yue felt her body slack. He kept going despite it, but he came shortly after. He stared at her, chest heaving. 

He moved away from her a little too quickly to seem normal. 

He stood up to walk away. It made sense. Lu Ten was using her just as much as she was using him. The real test was what came after. 

Lu Ten did not give off the impression that he was the type to want to cuddle or engage in pillow talk. So, when he put his helmet back on and went for the door, Yue was not surprised. 

But, before he reached for the handle, Lu Ten turned to look at her. 

Hooked. 

“So, you’ll have your way with me and then leave?”

Lu Ten looked disgusted. “We both got what we wanted.”

“But, you’ll be back to fuck me again.”

“Yes. I’ll be back soon. And, when I arrive, you better not have any clothes on, my lady.”

As Lu Ten stepped out, Yue grinned. It wasn’t meant to be funny, but it was. There was her security. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Lu Ten wouldn’t let anything happen to something that belonged to him. Yes, not the worst thing in the world. 

Never in Yue’s life would she think that using her sexuality would potentially save her life, but here she was. 

Ha.

Yue belonged to Lu Ten.

Funny.

It was the other way around. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know none of you guys are here for Yue and Lu Ten, but it's for the plot, baby. It is actually essential, so... yeah. I hope you were intrigued though.
> 
> Also, I don't want to hear any Yue slander. I really want you to make your own opinions, but bashing for the sake of bashing is not cool. Yes, I'm aware of what's going on. 
> 
> I'd love to hear your opinions, though! I'm not usually one for writing sex scenes, but I'm trying to be versatile. 
> 
> Peace out


	18. Exterminate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He misspoke because Katara’s eyes narrowed. It seemed like she was going to say something to trigger another tiny argument, but it seemed she took a different route. “Is… Yue safe?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

XVIII

Exterminate

Zuko knew little about the civilizations to the north and south. What he knew was vague; that it was nestled between frosted mountains that touched the sky. He knew that his element was much needed in this terrain. It was much too cold to last without fire. 

The Southern Water Tribe was the birthplace of winter. Zuko, who had been allowed to fly with Druk behind the group on Appa, landed gracefully. The Southern Water Tribe, while the Harbor City was their largest city-state, was spread far and wide across the higher attitudes of the fearsome mountains. 

It was unlike anything Zuko had ever seen. The summertime hardly spared Zuko from the brisk ocean breeze, but the cobblestone paths were sprouting wispy blades of grass and purple flowers. Large arches and heavy domes graced the fortified city-scape. It was incredible.

But, there was one problem.

“Where is everyone?” Sokka called out, waving his hands as if that would catch people’s attention. 

“In their homes,” answered Toph.

Aang was twisting his rubber-like neck to find the solution. The poor guy looked more bothered about it than Sokka did. “I’m going to do a flyover. There was to be  _ someone _ out. It’s broad daylight. Is this normal?”

“No.” Katara stalked to the triumphant gate to the city and dragged her hand down the smooth edge. Zuko watched the movement with special interest. “There should be fishermen out at sea, weavers making baskets, merchants selling goods. When I was last here to shoo away the pests, everything was fine.”

Aang nodded and dashed off into the sky to search for someone, anyone.

Zuko stood a good three steps away from everyone. Despite the begrudging trust Katara put in him, he couldn’t quite put himself at ease. There was little reason to feel otherwise. During the entire flight, a few pointed glares were tossed back at him. Much less than usual, but enough to make Zuko glad he was on the dragon instead of with them. 

“Your homeland is beautiful,” Zuko said to break the silence and break the silence he did.

The four of them all turned to face Zuko. 

“Thank you,” Katara said politely, albeit a little guarded. 

“What, never been to the Water Tribes before?” Toph mocked. 

Zuko stiffened. “I think you know the answer to that.”

“Is it safe for us to be walking around so casually?” Suki asked. “We shouldn’t draw attention to ourselves while on this mission. Lord Ozai might have spies.”

Sokka sauntered over and tossed an arm over Suki’s shoulder. “You don’t need to worry about that. Things are different here in the Water Tribes. It’s normal for deities to come and go. I mean, Katara, how many times have you visited? You know, before the whole Zuko deal.”

“As often as I could,” she explained.

“They love her here.” Sokka started to walk Suki around. “They love me too, but I’m needed elsewhere, unfortunately.”

That certainly made sense to Zuko. It answered his question on why she had so many mortal knick-knacks. They were gifts. They were more than offerings, no. They had personal value, and Katara kept every single one. 

Suki peeled herself off of Sokka, making extra emphasis to throw his arm off. She squared up to Sokka. If Zuko could pick a winner of their fight, he would be at a loss. Suki certainly had technically over Sokka, but he was the god of strategy. Brain versus brawn. God versus huntress.

“Don’t be acting so friendly,” she warned.

Sokka put up his hands in defense. “Sorry.”

“Okay, you two.” Katara put her hands on her hips. “Let’s not get in a fight. It’s going to make this whole ordeal a lot more painful for all of us.”

“Sorry,  _ Mother.” _

“Don’t call me that.”

The pair began to bicker. It seemed the very thing Katara was fighting against was so easy to invoke in her. 

Before Zuko could feel isolated, Aang appeared before their eyes.

“According to the civilians, monsters have been picking them off if they leave their homes.”

“Monsters?” Katara questioned. “I took care of them.”

“They’re back, and more of them. They’ve taken on a new strategy. The monsters camouflage in a pack during day and night waiting for a brave villager to wander in their direction. As for the fate of those villagers, I’m afraid it isn’t happy.”

Zuko didn’t want anyone to look at him. This was his father’s fault. He sent daemons and griffins to feast on innocents, and Zuko was the one to deliver the messenger that his father didn’t care. 

Katara was obviously taking it hard. The sea behind them was swirling with rage, and the water covering her body started to foam and bubble. Deities were blessed with extraordinary powers, and Katara was one of the more powerful ones, but no deity could be everywhere at once. They were flawed still. And, nothing could change that.

“Do you know where the monsters have been sighted?” Katara asked Aang, not really looking at anything. 

“Afraid not. Those I had the chance to contact, each said something different. Some attacks were right here in Harbor City. Others were on the mountain paths to other landmarks and villages. It’s hard to say.”

Sokka’s brow furrowed in what could be imagined as his thinking face. “So, we split up. Daemons and griffins are nothing to sneeze at, so I propose that we move in groups of two. Suki and I will take the Southern Mountain Path.”

“Katara and I will patrol the city,” Aang piped up a little too fast for Zuko’s liking. 

Katara didn’t seem to be against the idea, even smiling at the sky god, but Toph stepped on his foot. 

“Twinkles, you can’t leave me with Hotman,” she whined. She wrapped herself around Aang’s arm for emphasis, squeezing tight and giving a perfectly practiced pout. “I want to go with you. Hotman could push me off a cliff, and my delicate, blind self would just fall with no protection.”

Aang questioned her. “You would know if he was going to push you. Plus, you’re connected with the earth. If anything, I’d be worried for him with you on a mountain.”

“I would just like to say that I wouldn’t push Toph off a cliff,” Zuko piped up. 

She scowled at Zuko and returned to squeezing Aang. Get the hint. “Twinkles.” This whine was more insistent.

Of course, Toph would know. Why would it be any other way? There had to be little harm in it. All she would do was play at being a matchmaker. It wouldn’t change anything. Katara was set in her opinion of Zuko, and that was final. 

“Just go with Toph, Aang,” Katara dismissed, the smile wiped clean off her face. “You know how she is when she gets like this.”

Aang dejectedly sighed and nodded his head. Poor guy, but Zuko had little sympathy for it. He was not pleased with the turn of events.

“We’ll take the Eastern Mountain Path, you take the city,” Toph explained. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Sokka jumped in. He stepped in between Katara and Zuko. “I don’t feel comfortable with my little sister patrolling with the enemy.”

Hearing Sokka call him the enemy stung a little. Yes, he was the enemy, but not really. Not anymore. He hadn’t done anything to prove himself, and he hadn’t done anything to earn their respect. But, a tiny little voice in Zuko’s head wanted to be seen differently. 

“Fine,” Toph grumbled. “Suki can go with Hotman.”

Sokka considered. “But, I want to go with Suki.”

Katara, who had enough of the argument, pushed Sokka out of her path towards Zuko. “I’ll go with Zuko. I can handle him. If anything, it’s better that I’m with him.” She slowed her pace to inspect him, tilting her head. Zuko tried to seem unaffected, but her proximity made his heart race annoyingly. Damn it, June. “Let’s see how controlled our fire god is.”

He paled. Calm down.

* * *

There was no rush to talk to each other. 

Zuko knew that he was Katara’s last choice. It was no secret. It was evident from the way she walked to the pinching of her face. 

It was weird to walk through a city like mortals. Not even Mai would be caught dead doing this. Engaging with the people… That was for weak deities. Chthonic gods drew their power from their source. They didn’t need mortals to pray to them or shower them in gifts. 

“You don’t have to be so stiff,” said Katara. Her eyes flickered over to him quickly. “You’re going to suffocate if you don’t breathe.”

“I’m breathing.”

“I’m just trying to make a comment.”

“And, what kind of comment is that?”

Her face scrunched up. “That you look stiff. Seriously, I was just trying to make conversation.”

“By talking about how stiff I am?”

“Yes!”

They turned away from each other. So much for a pleasant conversation. Zuko wasn’t going to sit and listen to her mildly insult him, but he didn’t want to walk in silence which was strange because he loved silence. 

He lined up words in his head before speaking. “I didn’t know that it was possible to live amongst the mortals.”

“I’m starting to think there’s a lot of things you don’t know.”

“Can’t you be civil for once?”

Katara turned on him. “Not until you’ve earned it.”

“Earned it, huh? Well, I’d love to know how to earn it,” he seethed. “You’re the one who graced me with your ‘trust’, so if you want to work together, then maybe you should be a little lenient on me. Now, let’s try again. I didn’t know that it was possible to live amongst the mortals.”

She watched him for a moment, just taking him in.

“Trying to figure me out?” he continued.

“Yes, I’m not sure what to think of you.” Katara started to walk without him. “I don’t know when the tradition started, walking in the lives of mortals, I mean. My mother and father did. My grandparents did. My great-grandparents did. All the way back to Tui and La.”

“Tui and La, the original sea and moon deities… I’ve read many scrolls about them.”

Katara was surprised by that even if it didn’t show. A Fire Nation chthonic god had little purpose in knowing the ancient history of the Water Tribes. 

“What else do you know about the history of the Water Tribes?”

“Not much. My mother accumulated quite the collection of knowledge. She had many on Tui and La and Water Tribe botany, but that’s it. They were gifts from someone it seems.”

“Then I would think you’d know why we walk with mortals.”

“It never said anything about that.”

She smirked. Zuko believed that it was the first time she had ever smirked at him purposely. All of it was over the slightly humorous naivety of Zuko’s lack of knowledge. He was willing to accept that. 

“The spirit of Tui and La live on through Yue and me. She and I are like sisters of a sort. The moon from the north and the sea from the south. That’s one of the many reasons that this quest is of the utmost importance to me. Without Yue in the sky, I’m out of balance.”

“That’s why you woke up so quickly when Yue disappeared from the sky.”

He misspoke because Katara’s eyes narrowed. It seemed like she was going to say something to trigger another tiny argument, but it seemed she took a different route. “Is… Yue safe?”

“In the Caldera?” Zuko thought about what could possibly be Yue’s fate in the Underworld. It was hard to picture. Azula had little care for anything that wasn’t chthonic. Tormenting was the extent of her torture. She would find something to be busy with instead. Lu Ten was harder to imagine. The strict god probably enjoyed tormenting her more than Azula, but who knew? “Well..” He wanted to lie and say everything was going to be fine, but they both knew it was possible that Yue was in danger. “I don’t know what my father has planned for her. He needs her to open a crypt, but he needs you as well. That’s why I was sent to capture you.”

“I’m personally pleased to be a thorn in Lord Ozai’s side.”

“I guess that’s one good thing about me failing,” Zuko muttered. He focused on the big arches and stone buildings. Beautiful architecture… and so different from the formality of the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. “If my father is going to be upset at me, then I’d rather it be some big, dramatic ordeal.”

Katara slowed her pace a bit, drawing out each and every step. “Can’t say I blame you. I don’t know what kind of father he is, but Lord Ozai has been nothing but cruel.”

Cruel. If only she knew. Zuko thought about saying something, but nerves took over. It would be a lot to unpack, and a lot to remember. Zuko had pushed his battle with his father out of his mind for good reason. It was better to pretend that it didn’t happen compared to openly acknowledging that his father burned him.

“Katara, I—”

A piece of rubble fell from the side of a dwelling. As the tiny rock scattered across the cobblestone, Zuko and Katara exchanged a glance.

“Above us,” Katara whispered. “Don’t destroy anything.”

“How many?”

“Could never keep count. They usually move as a horde.”

Zuko summoned his sword. “The beauty with Underworld creatures is that they move in a hierarchy. If you shake down the leader, the rest will flee.”

“How do you know which one is the leader?”

Zuko craned his head to see hundreds of eyes blinking at him, leaning over the roof pitch like a bunch of hungry dogs. Ugly things. “I guess we’ll have to find out.”

Katara was the one who moved first, pulling massive amounts of water from the air and distant beach. The air around them dried as she did so. With careful aim, Katara washed the horde of monsters away from the residential area and drained them far from it. 

She left him completely behind.

Zuko ran in the direction of a giant water bubble carrying several large monsters. Leave it to Katara to try to do something by herself. 

Katara threw the water mass on the ground violently, causing a giant wave of mist and monsters to coarse towards Zuko. Right as a griffin got in range, Zuko sliced it right in half with a sizzle. It felt good to wield Sun Flare again. 

Each swing caught a creature, causing them to hiss and return to the Underworld. They would return with messages for Lord Ozai. 

Fire and water swirled around the hideous monsters. It gave Zuko a little joy to watch the wretches turn to ash be washed away by Katara’s sweeping motions. Speaking of Katara, a razor-sharp tendril of water bolted over his head to decapitate and daemon. The daemon gurgled and sank to the ground before another rushed at Zuko with its ragged nails and yellowed teeth. 

A slash. A narrow miss. Zuko leaned back and summoned a tunnel of fire to incinerate the daemon. Once that was finished, he shifted the flame to spiral and take down as many as he could. 

“Where is everyone else?” Zuko called out, cracking a solid hit on a daemon. “Shouldn’t Toph and Aang notice this and teleport or whatever?”

“Yes!” She pressurized a bubble of water and crushed a griffin into nothing. “Toph definitely knows by now. She knows we can handle this.”

A dodge.

They could handle this of course, but they wouldn’t have to expend themselves so much. Maybe it was an attempt to make them closer. Stupid, but at the same time brilliant. Did Toph think that he wouldn’t notice? Well, she knew. She knew everything. 

Where is the leader?

The leader was hard to find for a reason. The leader wasn’t bigger than the others. The leader wasn’t smarter than the others. It was a strategic hide, but Zuko knew better than them. 

All it took was one difference. 

A daemon was rushing towards Katara’s back. Zuko, who was dealing with his own griffins, waited for her to turn around, but she never did. 

It was a raw reaction.

“Katara!”

Zuko lit up into a torch and covered her back, careful not to burn her. The daemon’s claws extended near her ear. Zuko caught it by the throat and held it up to struggle. The monsters paused. He gave it the most ferocious look he could. 

Zuko’s hands burned its throat and it screamed out, but he didn’t deal the finishing move. “You’re the leader of this horde, aren’t you?”

“So what if I am?” it coughed.

“You know who I am, right?”

“Of course, my prince.”

He squeezed and it writhed in agony. “Yes, I am your prince. As your prince, I order you to return to the Underworld and never come back.”

“Under whose authority.”

“Mine. If you return, I’ll show you a fate worse than death. Do you know how painful it is to burn alive? Every single nerve on your body is in horrible pain. That is what will happen to you over and over if I hear word of you and your horde in the Southern Water Tribe. Goodbye, daemon. Make sure to tell my father about this.” He squeezed and the daemon turned to ash. 

Once the leader disappeared, the others panicked and fled. 

Once the flames claimed and the water soaked into the ground, Zuko noticed that Katara was ready for the attack. A sharp blade of water was suspected right where Zuko was. She could have dropped the blade and hit the daemon and Zuko, but she didn’t.

“I had that under control,” she grumbled. “But, thank you. You didn’t have to… Will they really stay away?”

Zuko leaned back and brushed her back. Like she was poison, he jumped away. When he craned his neck, Katara was already craning to look at him too. Her eyes were not twisted with different shades of blue. Instead, they were a solid blue that you’d only find in the depths of the sea. She looked a little winded. A display of power like that was certain to drain a deity. At that moment, Zuko saw something. Her breathing became softer.

“I hope.”

She didn’t seem to have a response for that, but Katara didn’t take her eyes away. Their hands were quite close. Katara could probably feel the heat radiating off Zuko’s hand. 

“Lady Katara, is that you?”

It was a tribeswoman peeking around the corner of her door. She wasn’t the only one. Others were starting to appear around the corner. The noise probably alerted them of a godly presence. They were starting to hover, and Katara was welcoming them in with open arms. Katara went to them, speaking to each one personally. 

“Lady Katara, is it safe?”

“Did you defeat the monsters?”

Zuko naturally faded back. This wasn’t for him. He was the outsider. 

This was strange for him. Conversation already was a weakness, and now it was staring him in the face. Katara was meant for this world. She was gentle and caring if one could get past the territorial anger she had for some things. 

“Yes, it’s safe now. I’m glad that I made it here in time to stop another catastrophe,” Katara sighed. She looked like she belonged with them. Smiling and being radiant, Katara really was incredible. 

“You saved us.”

“Well,” Katara stepped back and gave Zuko a small push on the shoulder to get him closer to the people. “Zuko helped me.”

“Zuko? The god of fire?”

They were all whispering amongst themselves. The noise made Zuko nervous. He wasn’t one for conversing with mortals. Katara must have seen this because she gave him the smallest of smiles from the corner of her mouth. Oh, no.

“Er, hi,” Zuko lamely introduced. 

He was lost in the chatter, so lost that he didn’t notice when the group returned and the civilians returned to their homes with smiles on their faces. He didn’t notice the small trinkets handed out. He didn’t notice anything at all.

His brain was occupied with pearls and seashells. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DENSE. That was dense. I'm glad that I was able to finish up this chapter. This week was crazy. 
> 
> Not much to say. I hope you enjoyed and stay safe out there!
> 
> Peace out


	19. Mockery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She could hardly hear him. Her throat got very tight as Zuko caught her gaze once again. Katara wished that he wasn’t so intense in the eyes. “Do you hear that?” She rasped out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

XIX

Mockery

“You could have helped us, you know.”

Katara crossed her arms as the other deities returned after surprisingly not finding a single monster. They came back all calm and cool while Katara and Zuko had to do the heavy work. The pair waited on the outskirts of the city for the other deities. They were to trek up the tallest mountain soon, so the faster they did that, the better.

“You had it,” Toph simply put. “Who am I to step in front of your brilliant teamwork?”

It looked like Sokka was about to say something, but he held his tongue. Sokka and his big mouth… That was his one major flaw. At least, Katara didn’t have to deal with it all the time. 

Aang looked more put out than Sokka did. The sky god was only a few years younger, but he seemed hundreds of years younger. Of course, Aang had a very youthful and playful look to him, but he acted as such as well. When they were younger, Katara couldn’t help but look after the sky god. A family was not normalized in his life like it was for Sokka and Katara… even Toph. 

He and Katara were close. No closer than good friends, but close nonetheless. It was a shame that they had a minor falling out once Katara took control of her isle. 

Katara snorted. “You were just being lazy. That’s very unlike you.”

Toph, who was clutched on Aang’s back before hopping down, gave a weak shrug. If the bangs didn’t cover her eyes, it would have shown the mischievous glint. 

Then there was Suki. The huntress looked tired out from dealing with Sokka’s obsessions, or seeming obsessions. It seemed that she tolerated him at most, but was quickly growing tired of his charms. Sokka was pulling out all the stops only for it to fall on deaf ears. It was hard to quite understand her allegiances, at least to Sokka. It seemed that Suki cared more about protecting Zuko than flirting with Sokka.

“I would have preferred to have known the location of the monsters,” Suki explained. “Monster hunting is my specialty of course. Though, I’m glad to see that you two were able to work together so nicely.”

Another comment on their teamwork. Katara stiffened up. She opened her mouth to say something, but Zuko beat her to it. 

“Katara was the one who did the heavy lifting,” he said simply. Zuko wasn’t looking at her, but she felt like he was. “If it wasn’t for her, I probably would have damaged homes. I’ve never seen anyone control that much of their element at once. Though, I’m just as surprised as you are that we worked together so well.”

“Well, I’m glad, really,” Sokka responded, giving Zuko a little shove. “We’re going to have to work together a whole lot during this, and if you can get along with Katara, then our chances are much higher.”

Katara couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. It was her who was making such a fit about the whole thing, and Zuko was trying to play nice. Yet, in the end, Zuko was the one being lightly accused of being the problem. What Katara didn’t understand was why he didn’t correct Sokka. He just had this apologetic look on his face, letting Sokka jabber into his ear about how much of a problem they thought he was going to be.

“Stop bothering him, Sokka.” Katara tried to make it out as a joke.

Sokka continued to give him a shake. “Aw, c’mon. This guy’s an ally, a pal… He’s fine.”

They all seemed to like him. Katara had never felt so alienated. They were getting chummy. Toph and Suki were never on her side, but it seemed that Aang and Sokka had no problems with Zuko anymore. All it took was one good deed and Zuko was cleansed of all crimes. 

Had Sokka forgotten what happened to their mother? Had he forgotten who did it?

She wanted to say something, but her own tongue wouldn’t allow herself to say something. Maybe it was the anxiety of seeing her father, maybe it wasn’t…

“So, we got to climb this mountain,” Toph sighed. “Why did your father fit such a lame spot?”

“You live underground,” Aang pointed out. 

“Yeah, but that’s awe-inspiring.”

“Is it?”

Toph crossed her arms with attitude. Katara had been to Toph’s temple many times. She wished that Toph wouldn’t act so much like a badgermole because her temple is the most beautiful building she had ever seen. All Toph cares about are the roots.

Sokka pointed to the distant pinnacle. “The climb doesn’t take too long. It’s impossible for mortals to climb the mountain, but we can. Once we run into the storm, Father will notice us and we will appear in his domain. It’s as easy as that. In fact, it might be faster to fly straight into the storm.”

“I want to fly with Hotman,” Toph shouted.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he mumbled. 

Zuko did this thing. It was such a small thing that Katara didn’t even register it at first. Zuko just tilted his head down just enough to rest a hand through his hair. Just the corner of his lip curled, but the killer was the one eye that peeked out to look at her.

It was endearing.

Katara leaned back and pretended to look at the summit. When she awkwardly glanced back, Zuko was still looking at her. She tried to put on an angry face, but it came out pinched. 

And then there was music.

“I’d just like to get there as quickly as possible,” Katara choked out.

“You look pale,” Aang remarked with worry. “Are you nervous?”

She could hardly hear him. Her throat got very tight as Zuko caught her gaze once again. Katara wished that he wasn’t so intense in the eyes. “Do you hear that?” She rasped out.

“Huh?”

“T-The music?”

Katara didn’t know that Zuko would lose his balance at that, but he did. When they all turned to look at him, he waved it off as just not paying attention, but Katara saw the redness of his neck. 

“What are you talking about?” Aang pushed.

She, in turn, found her hands more interesting than anything else. The music was gone by then, just a memory of brief insanity. 

“Oh, it must have been my imagination.”

* * *

The group must have forgotten about Druk because they all mounted Appa with no care in the world. Zuko stayed with Druk, and Suki joined for protection purposes. She stated that she wasn’t going to let him out of sight in worries that Zuko would suddenly decide to run away or whatever.

“I’m not going to run away,” Zuko scoffed.

Suki, a few ridges down, laughed. “I believe you to be more honorable than that. I’m just fulfilling my divine mission.”

“You Huntresses really take your job seriously.”

“Considering I took a life oath to become a huntress for all eternity, I would hope that I’d take my job seriously.” She took in the sights below them, beautiful sloping pinnacles of snow-covered mountains. “I’ve been doing this for over one hundred and fifty years. That’s no number to sneeze at.”

Zuko smirked. “It’s no small number indeed. You’re reaching god-like age now.” He turned back to glance at her. “How old were you when you took the oath?”

“Eighteen.”

“Eighteen for all eternity,” Zuko said into the burning-cold air. “I hear some mortals would envy you for that eternal youth.”

“Perhaps, but it’s not all it’s shaped up to be considering everyone I knew and loved have passed on.”

Zuko shifted. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I knew what I was signing up for. There was nothing for me in the mortal realm. Only Lady Kyoshi could secure my future.” Suki stared at the back of his head. “You better not give me those sad eyes. I’ve made my peace with it a long time ago. The Huntresses are my sisters now, and Lady Kyoshi is my mistress. The mortal lifespan is much too short for that kind of devotion.”

“What was it like…” Zuko muttered quietly. “To be a mortal?”

“Well, what do you expect? It was no festival… For some people, I’m sure they had everything they needed to lead a rich and healthy life, but that all comes at the price of others. Me, well, I can’t say I was a princess or a high priestess, so my life was more on the ordinary side. It was a stroke of fate that I ran into Lady Kyoshi.”

“Do the people hate me?”

She raised her eyebrows at this. “Is that what this is all about? Here I thought that Zuko, god of fire, was humbling himself by talking to a former mortal.”

“No!”

“I’m kidding. You aren’t disliked, but you aren’t praised either. At least where I was from… You could be Lu Ten. Everyone fears him.”

“For good reason.”

“You have a knack for assuming that everyone hates you.”

Zuko pondered that. While nothing Suki said was a lie, Zuko couldn’t help but distrust that statement.

“You’re onto something there.” Zuko watched as the storm neared them. Soon they would be in the domain of the god of winter. If anyone would hate him, it was Hakoda. He swallowed thickly. “If the god of winter is anything like his children, he’d have no problem freezing me solid.”

“You—”

The rest of Suki’s sentence was swallowed by the storm. The familial relations between Katara and Hakoda’s domains were too similar to discount. While the storm here was much more terrible and painful, Katara’s seemed to echo that ferocity. 

As the wind swirled sharp crystals of snow, a little tune carried out over it. It was strange to blindly fly into a blizzard and still hear a little hum in his ear. But unfortunately, he knew who that was.

A dove appeared out of the snow to flap around his head. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the dove was made out of snow. 

“Can you get some alone time once and a while?” It chirped in a high-pitched voice. “I don’t want to have to find you in the middle of a damn blizzard!”

“June?”

“Who else would it be?”

The dove made an angry cooing sound before daintily flapping with the storm. 

“What are you here? Didn’t you say you were too busy to worry about me? Though, I do like you better in this form.”

The dove, somehow, looked like it was pissed. “Watch your tongue, or I’ll rip it out and replace it with thorns. I just wanted to check-in, and considering how your doting Huntress can’t hear or see me in the storm, now was a perfect time.” She clicked her tongue. “What a sad fate being a Huntress of Kyoshi. So boring, so… celibate. Now, my priestesses know how to have fun. They really know how to celebrate love and sex, but I digress.”

“I’ll say.”

“Quiet, forlorn princess.”

“It was you putting the music in Katara’s ears, wasn’t it? You better not interfere with her emotions.”

June, as a snow dove, groaned. “I wasn’t doing anything. That’s on her. If I’m near, and someone hearing music in their ears, it’s probably because they are thinking about someone they are attracted to.”

“So, you were watching.”

“Of course, I was watching! Are you mad?!”

Zuko turned away from her. “I don’t like it.”

“Well, get a move on then. I came to tell you that you need to put more effort into your pursuit of Katara. It’s boring. Trying to save someone who doesn’t need saving, predictable. Do something romantic, something that will really get her guts in a twist. You know how to court a woman, right?”

“Yes, I know! It’s just hard, you know.”

“Embarrassment fades. Regret does not. When I see you next, you better be irresistible to Katara. I know you’ll both enjoy it better that way.”

The dove disappeared by crashing into his face.

Zuko tried to rub the snow off, but the chill was too much for his glowing fingers. 

Courting Katara… The idea was silly. Marriage was usually arranged in the mortal world, but the gods were different. The idea of showering Katara with gifts and affection made Zuko smile, but he was scared to be embarrassed. June pushing him wasn’t helping either. 

Would Zuko consider himself a romantic? Only time will tell. 

The worst thing that could happen would be sinking to the bottom of the ocean. That didn’t sound so bad in light of current events. 

They broke through the barrier of snow, showing a crystal clear summit with a massive temple complex made of ice at the top. The air was thin. A mortal would die up there, but it would be worth the death. 

“Were you talking to someone?” Suki asked, her hair white from the frost.

But, Zuko wasn’t paying attention. He was too busy watching Katara shake the snow from her hair and failing. 

A smile reached his eyes.

“No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie dokie got another chapter out for you. I know you're enjoying to story so far, especially with the newer additions. The next chapter will move the plot forward as to wtf actually happened with Zuko's mom. Also, you'll get to hear from Hakoda. 
> 
> Thank you for all the support and stay safe out there!
> 
> Peace out


	20. Seasons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Your parents loved each other deeply… a little too deeply.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

XX

Seasons

“You’re looking a little frosty, fire god,” Sokka teased as they all dismounted. 

Zuko tried to melt the frost off, but the cold sapped his power. It would take a moment to heat up again, but no one was looking untouched. 

“You should take a look at yourself before looking at me to make fun of,” Zuko responded. He chipped away at the ice surrounding Druk’s eyes. 

The domain of the god of winter looked new. It was mostly untouched, perhaps due to the lack of breathing bodies, but it wasn’t in existence long enough to even know the wear of time. The temple was built into a mountain. The lord seemed to have little care for traditional architecture, sharp spires crookedly connecting to ice sheets of pediments. 

“You’re too funny, you know that?” Sokka put on a comedic scowl to impersonate him. “You look like this all the time. Comedy gold. Not saying it’s a bad thing, of course. Such a slip of your inner and outer personality. Whatever that means.”

“Snoozles, keep your psychological jabber to yourself,” Toph called out.

He took a deep inhale of the air, pretending like the cold air didn’t hurt going down. “Ah, fresh mountain air. It almost makes me forget that you called my enlightening speech jabber. Take a deep breath, Toph. It’s good for the soul.”

“Soul this, soul that. What about me?”

“You had to be just saying that to mess with me,” Sokka grumbles. 

“Hm, she’s on to something,” Aang jumped in. 

“Not you too!”

“Hey!” Katara snapped. She looked tense, even with the frost clinging to her hair in clumps. She reached out to give Toph a tad-too-tight squeeze. “We are here to take to my Father, not mess with Sokka.”

“I don’t recall you turning into a boring old crone,” Toph grumbled as Katara’s grip tightened. 

Katara gave a sickeningly sweet smile that oozed animosity. “Thank you, Toph. You really know how to compliment a friend.”

“You aren’t an old crone,” Aang jumped in. 

Zuko felt like he had missed an opportunity, but that feeling sapped away the moment Katara gave Aang a dry response. He brushed melting ice out of his hair just in time to catch her eye. Too bad Katara snapped her gaze away too quickly for his liking.

Anyone would be nervous to see their parent, at least in Zuko’s basic understanding of a familial relationship, but this was different. Katara had an edge to her at that moment that not even the soothing Aang would try to dwell on. Sokka looked completely normal in this situation, but Zuko suspected that the older sibling had perfected the art of a cool composure a long time ago. 

Her purposeful gait led the group into the cave temple. While Zuko was happy to get out of the cold, the darkness of the cave gave little comfort. Of course, the beams of light illuminated the place enough to show the labyrinth of tunnels weaving around the core. Loud trickles of water slipping from icicles tickled Zuko’s hearing. 

“I hate it here,” Toph whispered to him.

“Why?”

Toph leaned in. “There are barely any roots. At least when I’m flying, the absence isn’t annoying. Here, it’s just humming around in my head. It’s like it’s taunting me.”

Zuko, himself, felt quite taunted too. This was the one place where he would be in actual danger. Wet atmosphere, freezing air… This cave was a concoction of everything horrible for fire. 

There was strange energy, to say the least. The unfamiliar emptiness that Zuko vaguely wished for suddenly didn’t seem so appealing. At least in the Underworld, Zuko had Azula and Ty Lee and Mai… whatever that was. 

“Sokka? Katara? Is that you?”

A sturdy-set man emerged from a shadowed spot. Behind him was a rather small throne room with two thrones side-by-side. Zuko readied himself. There was so telling what the god of winter would do to him. 

“Father!”

Hakoda dressed suitably. Prized animal pelts lined his cloaks, giving him a larger stature than he actually had. Zuko let their idle conversation pass his ears. It was full of words that poked at the fact that the family hadn’t been together in many years. Sokka and Hakoda remarked on it with a blissful lack of acknowledgment, but Katara didn’t look so convinced. She kept giving him this look that made it seem like she didn’t even recognize him. After all, Hakoda looked to have been a hermit for a moment too long as his hair had taken on a permanent frost. 

“I had been meaning to invite you two to my new temple for some time, but the seasons come and go so quickly. I hardly have time to prepare for the next winter once the old one passes,” Hakoda explained to his children. He gleamed expectantly, a big, fatherly smile illuminating his face in the darkness. 

Sokka stood close, seemingly not letting his father out of sight. If Sokka could reach his hand out and lock Hakoda in place, he would. “Obligations are obligations. All that matters is that we’re here together.”

Katara was not in the same proximity. “I’m glad coming in unannounced didn’t interfere with your… preparations.” 

“Never,” Hakoda remarked before swallowing his children in a big hug. 

That was when Hakoda caught sight of Zuko. The god of winter squinted, sizing the fire god up, and took in all his features. It had gone on long enough so that Zuko coughed awkwardly. 

“Zuko?” Hakoda drew out. He slowly pulled away from Sokka and Katara. “Zuko! It is you!”

“Huh.”

Everyone watched in surprise as Hakoda rushed up to take a better look at Zuko. If he hadn’t known any better, Zuko would have said that Hakoda seemed more excited to see him than his own children.

“You’ve become a full-fledged god! I can’t believe this!”

“Father,” Katara curled around. “You know Zuko?”

“Of course I know Zuko. I could never mistake him.”

Katara then turned to Zuko with a furious look. He preferred that to the hurt gaze Sokka had. “Zuko,” she growled. “Why didn’t you say you knew my Father?”

Zuko was still reeling from believing that he would have his throat snapped by Hakoda for even breathing the same air. This different reaction was completely unprepared for, and frankly a breath of fresh air. Finally, someone was excited to see him. “I don’t! I swear!”

“He wouldn’t remember me, Katara, but I remember him. I knew him when he was just a baby. I assumed that he had perished, yet here he is.”

Katara gave Zuko a look mixed with disbelief and anger, but he wasn’t sure if it was directed at him. In fact, both the siblings looked less than pleased. 

“Why would you know me?” Zuko asked.

That earned a big laugh. “Why, you’re Ursa’s boy! How could I forget you?”

Hearing Ursa’s name come from Hakoda’s mouth made the group eye each other in shock. It was like he knew the future or something, but he said it so calmly and matter-of-factly that there was no way he actually knew.

“That’s actually why we’re here,” Toph explained. “We’re looking for Ursa.”

He eyed her. “And, you came to me because you're bound to hide the truth.” He sighed deeply. “I hoped that there would never come a day that I would be asked this question. I always hoped that Ursa would be able to live in peace, but it seems that her location is important. My own children wouldn’t come to me if it wasn’t important.”

“Why did you never mention that you knew Ursa?” Katara asked. “Never. You never said a thing about it.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t already know. Us seasonal deities are close. We work hand in hand, especially since I pass the torch to her when it’s time for spring. And, Ursa, well, she was really good friends with your mother. I’ve never met a more dedicated goddess.”

Zuko’s stomach dropped. He would be a fool to believe that his mother was a solitary goddess, but friends with Katara’s parents… That was harder to believe. 

All the snarky comments and remarks about his lineage had ultimately simmered down to blank prejudices. 

“Do you know where she is now? My mother?” Zuko asked forcefully. “I—You’re the first god to say anything nice about my mother. I was starting to think that my memories were false.”

“You must be listening too much to your bitter father.”

Sokka decided to speak up. “When were you going to tell us about Mother and Ursa’s friendship?”

Hakoda didn’t respond right away. This was the first time that the god showed any kind of emotion other than a plastered glee. “I would have under any other circumstance, and in a perfect world, you have been able to see it with your own eyes.”

Katara seemed to put the pieces together faster than anyone else. “It had something to do with what happened to Mother, didn’t it?”

Hakoda looked away.

“Didn’t it?”

“Ursa came to us a mess one night, back when we all lived on the Isle. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days, and her eyes were wild and scared. I had never seen her like that. Ursa always had such a cool demeanor to her, a little vain if I must add, so it scared Kya to see Ursa like that. She was on the run, so we took her in. Ursa hadn’t started spring and she was a month late, and the years before she had slowly slipped. She spent all year, except spring, in the Caldera, so it was unlike her to sharply remain on schedule. And, the visits had stopped roughly after Katara was born. It had been years since we had seen her last, but we couldn’t get a single word about it out of her. And, Ursa loved to gossip, so it was all so strange.

“Kya was able to keep her hidden for some days before it happened. She kept asking why Ursa looked like she was on the run, and why she was without Zuko and Azula. Yet, we never got answers. Ozai eventually found her, but Kya was three steps ahead. Ursa escaped by a sea monster, but I don’t know where Kya sent her because… when I caught up to them… it was too late.”

“So, we already found a dead end,” Sokka grumbled.

“Why didn’t you tell us?!” Katara shouted, causing the cave to rumble in her echo. “I didn’t know that she—she died to protect a friend! That changes everything! I thought—I thought!”

“Katara…”

“No! Don’t ‘Katara’ me! You lied to us!”

“Katara, wait.” It was Sokka this time. 

“Not you either! I don’t want to hear you blindly protect Father like you always do!” She paused, inhaling deeply. Her eyes showed the faintest bit of wetness. “I need to be alone!”

No one followed as Katara stormed down a pathway in the cavern, a quiet choke followed her. 

“Why do you need to find Ursa?” Hakoda asked, not quite over Katara’s reaction but pressing on for professionality’s sake. 

“I believe it’s the key to stopping what my Father is planning,” Zuko told him.

Hakoda nodded. “Your parents loved each other deeply… a little too deeply.” He continued. “I believe the next place to look would be the Southern Air Temple.”

“But, it’s been abandoned,” Aang explained. “I would know if there was someone there.”

“Ursa isn’t there, but she may have stopped there. It’s just a hunch, but if Ozai would kill my wife to find Ursa, then it’s not too far off to believe that he massacred your people because they harbored her too.”

Aang looked sick because he knew that Hakoda was right. “Then that’s where we’ll go.”

“I suggest that you stay the night,” Hakoda said. “It’s best to fly during the day.”

“Then, I’m going to go find Katara,” said Aang.

Sokka stopped him. “No, don’t. She wants to be alone right now.”

They all dispersed, but Zuko stood still. He was busy thinking about what had happened to Kya. If he knew anything about his father, he knew that Ozai spared no cruelty in her death. 

“You look like her, you know.” Hakoda wasn’t looking at Zuko, instead off to the distance. “Ursa always used to say that you look like Ozai, but Kya and I always thought you looked like her. You carry your shoulders the same, very proud.”

“I’m sorry about what happened to your wife…”

Hakoda’s eyes widened. “You shouldn’t apologize. Just seeing that scar proves to me that you understand Ozai’s cruelty more than anyone.” When he saw Zuko turn his scar away in shame, he sighed. “Ozai is the only god I know that could have done that to you.”

“I just want to find my mother.”

“I know.”

Hakoda, God of Winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLOT PLOT PLOT
> 
> The next chapter is gonna be real juicy in my opinion, and I'm going to cover why Hakoda, Sokka, and Katara had a bit of an off interaction. I hope you enjoyed this chapter because it was loaded with important details, large and small. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I'd love to hear comments and concerns!
> 
> Peace out


	21. Shimmer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re crazy.”  
> “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) :)
> 
> also, i forgot to upload hakoda's character art. i remembered when i woke up this morning, so it's at the end of last chapter if you missed it.

XXI

Shimmer

Zuko found himself alone with his thoughts. In fact, it was the first time he had been alone since leaving the Caldera. Alone in these dark caverns finally gave Zuko the chance to breathe. This whole time, they had been running rapidly from place to place. Finally, he had time to relax.

One would think that June would make her unholy appearance at this time, scolding about his lack of romantic charm.

He had plenty of romantic experience… or so he thought. He and Mai were not particularly the most romantic duo, but they had relations. Yet, the more he thought about it, the less it seemed like something positive and more like a mutual use of each other. 

It was believed that they would spend their lives together. It was all so easy, so laid out. But, it seemed that life had other plans. 

His footsteps echoed in the cavern. Zuko just wanted to find where he was supposed to sleep. Everyone had shuffled away without him, and Hakoda seemed to disappear into thin air. Zuko being left to his own devices seemed like a horrible idea. Sure, let the freshly reformed enemy wander in your abode. Nothing bad will happen.

He made sure to peek in each entrance. There was so little compared to what Katara had. She was overflowing with gifts, yet Hakoda had none or seemed to keep none. Every so often, a tapestry would appear on the walls. Old images it seemed. Upon closer inspection, some showed wrinkled images of the family before Ozai decided to ruin it. Some had tears larger than others, images of rage.

Zuko understood Katara’s reluctance towards him. Anyone would be violent towards someone who symbolized the demise of your family.

Running water.

He craned his neck to try to hear better. His curiosity got the better of him as his feet moved without thinking. Down the narrow tunnel, the noise got louder. 

A hand trailed on the naturally carved rock, feeling the roughness of it. It got narrower and narrower until he had to inch through one shoulder before the other. Anyone bigger than Zuko would have trouble squeezing through.

A voice in his head was definitely telling him that he doesn’t belong here, but he ignored it.

And, he quickly learned the reason why.

Katara was sitting from the elbows down in a crystal clear pool of water. Cracks in the ceiling allowed water to filter down from the mountains above. Zuko knew he was intruding, but he couldn’t look away. Torches lining the wall barely lit the pool, only showing the shimmering of the pure water.

Zuko stretched his neck to get a better look, but something cold crawled up his ankle. He was too enraptured to pay attention to what it was. Staring at the back of Katara’s head was much more interesting.

The cold grip quickly tightened and yanked his feet out from under him. Zuko flipped onto his back with a muted thud. 

“I thought it was Aang at first, but he’s too graceful to be heard.”

Zuko slowly raised up, rubbing this aching back from the shocking blow. He opened his eyes to see a standing Katara, a not happy one.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

Zuko groaned a little. “I got lost.”

Katara’s hard eyes eased. Beads of water dripped from her hands. “That’s so like them. Too busying thinking about their next meal and bed to realize that you’re lost. Well, Toph knows you’re lost, but you know how that is.”

“Sadly, I do.” They stared at each other for a moment. Katara looked worn out. Her eyes were dull, possibly from crying. “What is this place?”

“It’s a sacred pool. It’s full of spiritual energy.” She saw the recognition in Zuko’s face. “You’re already here, so don’t worry about it. Without Yue in the sky, I would hardly call this pool sacred anymore. I really just needed to go hide.”

A part of Zuko felt guilty. He knew what it felt like to be lied to by a parent. It stung more than it ever should. 

Katara continued. “Just, don’t tell me I have to forgive him. I’ll scream. It’s what Aang and Sokka would say.”

“I wasn’t going to say that.”

“You probably think I’m a fraud now. I had been spending all this time treating you like the scum of the earth. Well, the joke’s on me. I’m sorry.”

Zuko gave a brief smile. He couldn’t hold it up. “Don’t be. You didn’t know. I had no right to be starting fights with you either, but here I am. I guess we’re both messes.”

“I just…” Katara swallowed thickly before dramatically dropping into the water again. There was so much distance between them, but it didn’t feel like it. “I just wish he wouldn’t lie to me all the time. That’s just how he is, you know. Sokka would never admit it. He’s too busy kissing the earth Father walks on. Ever since my mother died, he became a recluse. We used to all live together, but then he left for here and Sokka left shortly after.”

“Leaving you all alone.”

“If you want to put it that way, yes. My father… means well. But, he hides things. He feels like if we knew the truth, and it would hurt us or something. I’m not going to pretend that I understand it.”

Zuko wobbled to his feet. “It seems that telling the truth hurts him more than you. He wants to forget it.”

Katara had quickly realized that she had said too much. “I must be keeping you. I’ll show you where everyone is sleeping probably.”

He ignored that, stopping at the foot of the pool. “You already touched me with the water, so what’s one more touch?” Zuko stepped into the pool, the coolness immediately prickling his skin. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, but… Don’t you want to find everyone else?”

“Not really.”

She watched with interested eyes as he splashed into a seat, not too close but not close enough. Anyone with any sense would refuse the cold water, but the god of fire seemed unaffected. Aang and Toph refused the water. Even Sokka did too. It was much too cold for comfort, yet here he was.

“You’re crazy.”

“Yeah.”

For a moment, Zuko couldn’t tell what reaction she had. As he looked further, it seemed that Katara’s face slowly merged into a smirk. It was a very familiar action, but it had never quite been directed at him. Only people that were special earned that kind of look.

He wanted to push it, see how far he could go before she turned away. It was still. It was just like that night at her bedside except she was wide awake and looking right back at him. Zuko couldn’t help but think about the pleasurable ache the arrow gave him. Would it be so bad to want that again?

“Do you miss it?”

“Miss what?”

“The Caldera.”

Zuko considered for a moment. “I miss some parts. It’s not all the doom and gloom it’s made out to be. I guess the best part is how it always smells like flowers.”

“You enjoy the flower scent?” she teased.

“Please, you’re telling me that you prefer rotten fish to fire lilies?”

Katara laughed. “My isle does not smell like rotten fish!”

“Strange that you were able to make the connection.”

“Oh, so you make jokes now. That’s news to me.”

He rolled his eyes. “You aren’t exactly the muse of comedy either.”

For a second, Katara looked horrified. The gears in her head went into overdrive as she thought of how to stand him up. What she landed on was, “I’m funny!” A fish with wings all made of water jumped out, did a tiny flourish, and dissolved into the water. “See!”

Zuko raised a brow. “Was that supposed to be funny?”

“Yes. A minnow with wings? How completely silly.”

He started to laugh, but it was more of a guffaw. It was all making sense. This was why Katara didn’t crack jokes. This was why Toph didn’t worry about smart comebacks from Katara. “You’re not even laughing at your own jokes,” he laughed. 

She waited for him to stop laughing. Her fingers coasted over the surface, drawing tiny little things. “I know I’m not funny, but thanks for humoring me. Sokka and Toph can fire at each other for hours if you let them. I just…” Katara shrugged. “Watch in disapproval. But, strangely enough, you made me feel a lot better just now.”

“I didn’t know I could be the comforting type either.”

They caught each other in a stare. This was what June was talking about, he presumed. There was something that excited him and calmed him at the same time. All feelings of awkwardness were pushed to the side for a moment. If only he was closer, but instead there was water between them. 

Katara was the one who cracked first, turning away with a lie of a cough. The redness of her face was not hidden by the darkness. 

“Want to see the winged fish again?” she lamely said.

He smirked at her clumsy cover-up. “I’ve got something better.”

In Zuko’s hand, a thin wisp of fire stemmed from his fingers. Just like sped-up growth, the fire bloomed into a pretty good interpretation of a fire lily. It took more effort than he expected. 

“Woah…”

“When I was a boy, I would make objects with my sister. It always had to be a competition, and she always won. But, I have one thing over her…”

“And, what’s that?”

Zuko held the flower out for her. He did it with just enough lack of care to make it seem less important to him. “For you.”

Katara leaned back a bit for good reason. It looked like fire, so it should act like fire. “Won’t it burn me?”

“No. While Azula was too busy making the most extravagant things, I learned how to tame it so it won’t burn anyone.” He thrust it forward again. “Take it.”

She was a bit apprehensive, but in the end, she cradled it in her fingers. “It’s not burning me,” she said with awe. “It’s beautiful, but what if I drop it?”

“Then, I’ll keep making them for you if you’d like.”

“You don’t have to.”

“But, I would.”

He made a wincing face. Zuko stood up awkwardly like a newborn horse. Once he gained his bearings, Zuko trailed out of the pool. 

“Where are you going?”

“I think I’m going to wander around again,” Zuko explained. It was a sorry excuse. He scratched the back of his head and glanced back at her. Katara held the fire flower close, lips parted in confusion. The truth tickled the back of his throat. 

“But, you’ll get yourself lost again.”

“That’s okay.”

“You’re being weird all of the sudden.”

Katara was right. Zuko was being weird, and it was because his heart was beating so fast that he thought it was going to burst. In a panic, Zuko attempted to retreat. It was the safest option. 

Zuko coughed. “I… Er, I don’t know how to say this. No, I do.” Katara peered with those big, blue eyes. “I bet everyone is wondering where I’m at, so… I should go back.” He started to walk away, but turned on his heels and walked back towards her a few steps. “You’re very beautiful, Katara. Goodnight.”

Finally, Zuko made his hurried retreat. He wasn’t brave enough to look back at her face, but it did hear the faint simmer of fire to water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fact that I was so excited for this that I wrote it in a single day. Well, I guess it just shows how busy classes were today, so maybe it's not that impressive. 
> 
> Now we're cooking with gas, am I right? Normally, I write a reluctant Zuko, but this version is going to be a little more confident. Boy knows what he wants. I bet you're glad things are finally happening after twenty chapters but always get mad at the people that boast how slow burn their fics are and then they kiss in the twelfth chapter. What's with that? Sorry, tiny rant.
> 
> I really wanted the conversation to be as fluid as possible, so I sat my ass down in did it in one sitting. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter is gonna hop over to see what Azula's up to. 
> 
> Peace out


	22. Brusque

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You give off this standoffish look, this ethereal, distant façade. Remember what you are, a scared, lonely goddess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

XXII

Brusque

“Wake up!”

Azula gave a swift kick to Yue’s side, causing the goddess to awaken with a yelp. She scrambled to the edge of her bed, tilting her bed to see Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee glaring down at her.

Yue curled into herself to cover her nudity. “W-What happened?”

An annoyed hand weakly gestured to Lu Ten’s slumped and equally nude form. “I had Ty Lee put you two to sleep.”

“That’s what he gets for talking down to me all the time,” Ty Lee proudly announced. 

The horrified moon goddess tightened her grip on herself. The intense glares of the trio fed off of Yue’s insecurity. “B-But we—why would you—?”

“I very well know what you were doing,” Azula explained offhandedly. “What I did was strategy. I found you at your most vulnerable moment and exposed it. Really, you’re such a fool if you think I was going to ignore you. We need to talk. Now, put some clothes on. You look like a common whore.”

“You can’t call me that.”

“Watch me. Lu Ten isn’t going to offer you protection. Don’t make me ask again, or I’ll turn that pretty hair into kindling.”

Yue scowled and scampered to her feet. As she looked for her clothes thrown around the room, she heard Azula mumbling to her friends. The moon goddess wanted to put Azula in her place, but Azula was the Lady of this realm. The best she could do was imagine Azula’s demise for putting her through this humiliating situation.

“Don’t look so sorry for yourself,” Azula snarled. “At least I’m not parading you around for all to see.”

Azula’s faithful sidekicks were just as judgmental. There was not a safe gaze in the room. Yue would have preferred the violent Lu Ten to the trio of girls. Ty Lee had a nicer demeanor, but she stood with the confidence that said ‘yes, I belong with these girls.’ The divide between their worlds was too great, and frankly, Yue didn’t want to explore it.

“What do you want from me?” She tied her clothes back on. “Haven’t you taken enough from me?”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Whine. Whine. Whine. You and my brother would get along so well. I came to you to offer you a deal you can’t refuse.” She glanced at her cousin. “I know your activities with my cousin are less than ideal for you, so what if I told you I could get you out of here?”

“What’s the catch?” she asked in a dull tone.

It made the princess shake her head. The difference between the girls couldn’t have been clearer. “Oh, it’s minuscule. I just require your all-knowing scope to find two certain deities: Zuko and Katara.”

“Do you only think of yourself?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. It’s my life so I should be allowed to worry about it.” Azula watched as the big, scared eyes of the moon goddess gave off the tiniest bit of aggression. It was something that Azula wasn’t going to stand for. “You give off this standoffish look, this ethereal, distant façade. Remember what you are, a scared, lonely goddess.”

Yue turned her head from Azula, afraid that the entirety of her face would betray her emotions. The shaming had little effect on her. She knew exactly who Azula was. She knew exactly who she involved herself with. Of course, Yue didn’t care a bit about her, but it was Lu Ten feeding the information.

“I don’t think I like the deal you’re presenting.”

“What are your conditions?” 

Yue trailed over to the broken mirror, watching Azula through broken images. “I refuse to reveal Katara’s location.”

“Loyalty is an honorable trait, but you are a hostage. When I asked for your conditions, I asked for what you needed to do this task for me. Your freedom is possible, but it comes at the price of Katara’s. My father is under the impression that the pair of you are needed, and that is true to an extent. You see, while you were enjoying the physicality of my cousin, I was collecting information. There are numerous ways to open that crypt, and if my father insists on using you… well, I’d say that you’d want to run as far away from here as possible.”

The silence in the room echoed the silence in Yue’s head. She didn’t know what to say. What Azula was asking was to offer up Katara’s life for her own. That wasn’t going to happen. Katara was her family. They were Tui and La. 

“If I’m going to die, then why hasn’t it happened yet?”

“I’m flattered that you believe that I am the keeper of information, but I don’t understand my father’s mind. Honestly, all he does these days is mope.”

“I don’t believe a word out of your mouth.” Yue decided that she was brave enough to face Azula. Once turning, she immediately regretted it. Azula had such a presence to her that it was suffocating. “I feel like you don’t respect me.”

Mai and Azula gave each other the kind of look that makes someone self-conscious. “Mai, wasn’t I just talking about how much I respect Yue?”

“No.”

“Hm, you’re right. I don’t respect you, Yue. I don’t have to.”

“I didn’t know your shadows knew how to talk.”

That got to Azula. Her posture, which was already perfect, became even more structured. Like a predator, Azula stalked towards her with villainous intent. “Why are you insistent on upsetting me?” Azula took one step forward, and Yue couldn’t help but shoot back. “They are not my shadows. They are treasured allies and friends. Now, this is the last time I will ask. What are your conditions?”

“I’m not selling out Katara.”

It was obvious that people didn’t reject Azula very often. The goddess of death didn’t seem to be all that affected, but Mai and Ty Lee gave Yue the indication that they were shocked. That solidified her choice.

“Even if that means you stay here, pleasuring Lu Ten until you eventually meet a horrible fate?”

“What makes you think I’m not getting anything out of it? I’m not joining you.”

Azula’s lips curved downward, getting her an annoyed look. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. “Fine. Die here then. I don’t care. I don’t need you anyway. Mai, Ty Lee, let’s go.”

* * *

“Who does she think she is rejecting me like that?” Azula hissed, walking down a hallway with little foot traffic. She was strutting at a pace hard for her friends to keep up at, and she didn’t care. Catch up or not.

“Azula, where are you going?” Ty Lee shuffled. 

“I don’t need her. I don’t. I have a plan. And, that plan doesn’t include her.” She snapped her fingers, illuminating down the dark hallway. “I’m not going to sit around and wait for my father to bark orders at me.”

“Azula, stop.”

A curtain of magic stopped her from continuing down the hall. Mai stood a good length behind them, her hands stretched out. 

“Mai, take this down.”

“Not until you tell us what you think you’re doing.”

Azula groaned just enough to be heard. “I’m leaving. I think Zuko’s had enough fun out on the surface. It’s time for him to come home. I have a bad feeling about him roaming freely.”

Mai grimaced. “Why?”

There was a pause. Azula was subservient to her father, so it seemed hard for the truth to come out. She had spent so many years cultivating this relationship with her father, using Zuko as a support to land at the top. And, for what? The Underworld will always be her birthright. So, it was her birthright to protect the sanctity of the Underworld. 

“Doesn’t Azula, Goddess of the Dead, Lady of the Underworld have a nice ring to it?”

Ty Lee squinted. “Uh, yeah?”

“I think it’s time to take my place as the head of this realm. But, before I can do that, I need to tie up some loose ends. The idea of taking over the world is tempting, but I don’t want a world of void. That’s what will happen if the crypt is opened.”

“Are you doing what I think you’re doing?” Mai said with little interest. “If Lord Ozai finds out about this—”

“I’m not afraid of my father anymore. Look around. Do you see him? He used to be so strong, but ever since Zuko joined in on this plan, he’s been a mess. I’m tired of hiding like a rat, picking up pieces of information that my father couldn’t muster to do. It’s pitiful. So, let me do what he won’t. I’ll kill Zuko. Who knows how many deities he’s told about what Father has in store. Since Yue won’t help, I have no need for Katara.”

Mai was unconvinced. “I won’t kill Zuko.”

“You won’t have to. I will.”

“I won’t let  _ you  _ kill Zuko.”

The energy between the two was chaotic. In the protection of an abandoned hall, the two could go into a frenzy and no one would know. One twitch, one tilt. That’s all it would take for a fight to ensue. 

The blue fire of Azula’s crown grew with her irritation. What would it take?

“Your devotion to a man that couldn’t commit to you worries me. I’m not going to tell you to hate Zuko, but I’m not going to let you put him on a pedestal.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I want you two to join me. So, what will it be?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We got some more pieces on the board. I left it open-ended because I'm shrouding some mystery on it all. After all, it's more fun to read something that draws out the truth a little bit. I hope you enjoyed seeing some Azula action. I know I did.
> 
> There's been a whole lot of Ozai talk and not a lot of Ozai. So, the next chapter is going to fill everyone in on what's going on with that.
> 
> Thank ya for the support! Any comments and concerns are welcomed with open arms.
> 
> Peace out


End file.
